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O  PRINCETON,  N.  J.  -C^ 


BV  1475  .C7  1876 
Crafts,  Sara  Jane  Timanus. 
Open  letters  to  primary 
teachers 


Shelf.. 


OPEN   LETTERS 


TO 


PRIMARY  TEACHERS, 


WITH   HINTS  FOR   LXTERMEDIATE   CLASS  TEACHEHS. 


BY   MRS.  W.   F. 'CRAFTS, 

[SARA   J.    TIMANUS.] 

WITH  A\  AITENDIX,  CONTAIXIXG  SPECIMEN  LESSONS  AND  CONCERT 
EXERCISES  FOR  LITTLE  CHILDREN 


''feed    my    lambs, '» 


NEW  YORK: 

NELSON     &     PHILLIPS 

CIXCIXXATI : 
HITCHCOCK    &    ^ArALDEN. 

SUNDAY-SCHOOL    1)KPA::TMKST. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  3-ear  1S76,  by 
NET.  SON    &    PHir^T.IPS, 

In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress  at  Wasliington. 


rftePERTrcf 

PRIITCETOIT   %, 
fiEC.  SEP  I88i 

THSOLOGIGAL  . 


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COls  TENTS 


Page 

I.  Organization 9 

II.  Qualities  and  Training  of  the  Primary  Teacher.  .  16 

III.  Place  and  Programme 21 

IV.  The  Lesson 30 

V.  Attention  and  Discipline 38 

VI.  The  Art  of  Questioning 44 

VII.  The  Art  of  Memorizing 56 

VIII.  The  Art  of  Illustration 70 

IX.  Visible  Illustration 80 

X.  The  Culture  of  Benevolence 95 

XI.  Teaching  Little  Children  to  Sing, 102 

XII.  The  Teacher's  Social  Work 108 

XIII.  The  Home  and  the  Class 113 

XIV.  The  Teacher's  Spiritual  Work 117 

TWELVE  LESSONS  ON  THE  LIFE  OF  CHRIST. 

I.  The  Child  Jesus 126 

II.  The  Baptism  of  Jesus 129 

III.  The  Law i33 

IV.  Power  over  the  Sea 137 

V.  The  Mind  of  Christ 142 

VI.  Parable  of  the  Sower i47 

VII.  The  Widow's  Two  Mites 151 

VIII.  The  Withered  Fig-tree I55 

IX.  The  Anointing  at  Bethany 161 


)  Contents. 

Page 

X.  Jesus  the  King i66 

XL  Jesus  on  the  Cross 170 

XII,  The  Risen  Lord 174 

LRIMARY  CLASS   CONCERTS. 

I.  Jesus  our  Shepherd 179 

11.  Prayer 184 

III.  Temperance 188 

IV.  Missions 191 

V.  Christmas 195 

VI.  How  TO  Spend  Christmas 198 


PREFACE. 


T  T  7HILE  these  letters  have  been  written  espe- 
'  •  cially  for  teachers  of  Primary  Classes,  they 
will  be  found  nearly  as  appropriate  for  teachers  of 
Intermediate  Classes.  Many  of  the  chapters  are 
adapted  to  all   grades. 


"  Teach  us  what  we  shall  do  unto  the  child." 

*'  For  he  established  a  testimony  in  Jacob,  and  appointed  a  law  in 
Israel,  which  he  commanded  our  fathers,  that  they  should  make  them 
known  to  their  children  :  that  they  might  set  their  hope  in  God,  and 
not  forget  the  works  of  God,  but  keep  his  commandments." 

*'  Is  not  the  teaching  of  men  a  part  of  the  divine  gladness  ?  " 

"Whatever  the  ways  or  the  means  you  take, 
Do  it  alone  for  the  Saviour's  sake." 

"Only  through  prayer  comes  the  blessings  down, 
That  wins  them  as  gems  for  the  Saviour's  crown." 

"Whoso  shall  receive  one  such  little  child  in  my  name,  receiveth 
me." 

"  It  is  not  the  will  of  your  Father  in  heaven  that  one  of  these  little 
ones  should  perish." 

"  From  a  child  hast  thou  known  the  Holy  Scriptures." 

"  Feed  my  lambs  "  said  Christ,  our  Shepherd  ; 

Place  the  food  within  their  reach  ; 
And  it  may  be  that  the  children 

You  have  led  with  trembling  hand, 
Will  be  found  among  his  jewels 

When  you  reach  the  better  land." 

"  The  learned  and  self-confident  Saul  must  become  as  a  little  child, 
asking  '  W^hat  shall  I  do?'  and  reaching  out  his  hand  to  be  led,  be- 
fore he  can  enter  the  kingdom  of  God  as  a  teacher." 


REC.  SE 
THSOLOGICa 

OPEN    LETTERS^"^ 

TO    PRIMARY   TEACHERS. 


I. 

Organization, 

Dear  Teacher  Friend: — Does  your  class  number  a 
hundred  scholars,  more  or  less,  and  are  you  perplexed 
to  know  how  to  keep  the  attendance  of  so  many ;  how 
to  tell  whom  you  ought  to  visit  on  account  of  absence 
or  sickness  ;  how  to  learn  not  only  their  names,  but  also 
their  souls'  needs;  how  to  give  each  child  a  personal 
share  in  the  lesson  time  ;  how  to  get  the  interest  and 
attention  of  all ;  how  to  save  the  distraction  and  trouble 
required  to  hush  a  noise  here  and  quiet  a  child  there ; 
how  to  judge  of  the  effect  of  your  lesson  upon  each  little 
heart ;  how  to  make  each  child  feel  that  you  are  his 
special  friend  for  Christ's  sake? 

I  think  I  understand  how  it  is  with  you.  You  stand 
upon  your  platform  so  that  you  may  see  every  body ; 
you  feel  the  disadvantage  of  the  distance  between  your- 
self and  the  little  ones  who  need,  more  than  any  other 
kind  of  an  audience,  the  influence  of  personal  mag- 
netism ;  you    long  for  a  closer  contact,  where  you  can 


10      Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

gather  them  in  your  arms,  look  into  their  eyes,  and  bring 
heart  and  heart  in  sympathy.  Let  me  suggest  how  you 
may  accomplish  these  desires,  as  far  as  the  children's 
interests  are  concerned. 

Separate  the  little  people  into  knots  of  ten,  endeavor- 
ing to  put  those  of  like  capacity  together.  While  age 
may  be  some  guide  in  this  matter  of  grading,  the  most 
important  consideration  is  a  child's  power  to  understand. 
It  may  be  necessary  to  form  more  than  one  class  of 
the  same  grade.  It  would  be  better  to  have  less  than 
ten  in  a  class  than  more. 

Give  each  little  group  a  teacher,  who  will  have  them 
in  charge  during  twenty  minutes  of  the  session,  in  which 
time  the  attendance  is  marked,  the  collection  taken, 
and  specified  portions  of  the  lesson  taught.  Thus  each 
child  will  receive  in  the  class  close  and  personal  atten- 
tion, which  should  also  be  extended  to  the  home  by 
visiting  during  the  week,  especially  in  case  of  absence 
or  sickness. 

One  of  the  greatest  advantages  of  this  class  system  is 
found  in  connection  with  transfers  to  the  general  school. 
Instead  of  having  those  who  are  transferred  scattered 
promiscuously  through  various  classes  with  strange 
teachers  and  strange  classmates,  or  even  placed  together 
under  the  same  teacher,  but  a  new  one,  the  mature 
classes  may  be  transferred  at  appropriate  times  with 
their  teachers,  thus  keeping  the  relations  of  growing  in- 
terest and  affection  unbroken.  As  a  rule,  I  have  been 
accustomed  to  transfer  children  at  about  eight  years  of 
age.  This  may  suggest  the  inquiry,  At  what  age  should 
children  begin  to  attend  Sunday-school  ?     I  think  it  is 


Organization.  1 1 

not  ordinarily  profitable  for  those  under  three  years  of 
age  to  do  so. 

Your  duty  as  Primary  Superintendent  will  be  to  lead 
the  whole  class  in  prayer  and  song,  (getting  some  one  to 
sing  if  you  cannot,)  and  to  give  the  introductory  exer- 
cise of  the  lesson  and  closing  review,  each  filling  about 
ten  minutes.  You  should  employ  yourself,  during  the 
twenty  minutes  the  teachers  are  at  work,  in  intercepting 
all  disturbing  influences,  such  as  tardy  scholars,  visitors, 
and  calls  of  various  kinds,  in  a  manner  I  will  describe  in 
a  future  letter. 

By  this  method  of  subdivision  the  advantages  of  the 
large  class  and  of  the  small  class  are  combined,  and 
variety,  one  law  of  childhood,  is  gratified.  Harmony 
and  unity  between  the  teachings  of  the  Primary  Super- 
intendent and  the  teachers  is  secured  by  a  definite  plan 
being  mutually  understood  beforehand. 

Are  you  saying,  ''  This  is  all  impracticable  for  me  .?  " 
Perhaps  the  very  queries  sent  to  me  by  one  of  my 
teacher  friends  may  be  arising  in  your  mind,  and  that 
to  answer  her  may  be  to  reply  also  to  you.  She  asks, 
"  To  superintend  such  a  department  as  your  ideal  con- 
templates, would  it  not  require  an  executive  ability,  a 
consciousness  of  power  and  skill  in  leadership,  an 
amount  of  educated  talent  to  inspire  confidence  in 
others,  as  well  as  a  heart  sympathetic  and  loving  toward 
childhood }  "  Skill  in  leadership  would  certainly  be  a 
desirable  attribute  to  bring  to  the  position — the  best  of 
every  thing  is  always  in  demand — but  it  seems  to  me 
that  an  ordinary  ability  will  develop  the  necessary  skill 
to  direct  the  workings  of  a  subdivided  Primary  Class. 


12       Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

The  effort  to  do  so  will  of  itself  produce  educated  tal- 
ent. Self-confidence  rather  than  ability  is  the  element 
usually  lacking. 

"  Are  there  not  many  persons  who  can  govern  and 
teach  the  little  ones  well,  who  feel  that  they  are  not 
qualified  to  become  Normal  teachers?  "  The  position 
of  Primary  Superintendent  does  not  necessarily  imply 
the  duties  of  a  normal  teacher,  although  the  "  ideal  " 
Primary  Superintendent  could  and  would  assume  them. 
The  next  letter  will  contain  more  explicit  words  upon 
this  point. 

"  Can  you  always  find  persons  willing  to  be  teachers 
in  the  Primary  Department  ?  "  Yea,  I  am  persuaded 
there  need  be  no  difficulty  in  this.  In  several  schools, 
where  the  superintendent  had  found  the  usual  difficulty 
in  supplying  his  classes  with  teachers,  I  have  organized 
such  a  department,  and,  by  the  aid  and  counsel  of  the 
pastor,  have  found  a  sufficient  number  of  suitable 
persons  who  had  not  previously  been  Sunday-school 
teachers. 

I  know  that  my  plan  of  organization  will  seem  com- 
plicated to  you ;  but  I  am  confident  its  working  will 
not  prove  so  if  you  will  but  give  it  a  fair  trial.  Never- 
theless, I  am  disposed  at  this  point  to  give  a  few  hints 
relative  to  a  large  class  under  the  care  of  one  teacher. 
Probably  the  most  perplexing  question  for  such  a  teacher 
is,  "  How  can  the  attendance  be  kept  ?  "  All  agree  that 
it  is  essential.  The  calling  of  the  roll  takes  too  much 
time.  Even  when  the  roll  is  called,  there  will  be  many 
little  ones  too  timid  to  answer  to  their  names.  Mean- 
while it  will  be  difficult  to  maintain  order.     This  cannot 


Orga  n  iza  Hon.  1 3 

be  considered  in  any  sense,  either  for  teacher  or  pupils, 
a  profitable  way  of  spending  the  one  brief  and  precious 
opportunity  of  a  whole  week  for  teaching  and  learning 
the  way  of  salvation.  It  has  been  suggested  that  an  as- 
sistant might  quietly  look  over  the  class  and  mark  the 
attendance  during  the  time  the  lesson  was  given.  The 
objection  to  this  would  be  that  the  teacher  would  never 
learn  the  names  of  the  children  ;  and,  indeed,  I  do 
not  see  how  the  assistant  could  do  so,  or  how  it  would 
be  possible  for  her  to  take  the  attendance  without  such 
knowledge.  For  one  year  I  kept  the  attendance  of  a 
class  numbering  three  hundred  in  the  following  manner  : 
An  indexed  blank  book  was  secured.  The  names  of  the 
children  were  alphabetically  arranged  in  it,  with  the 
residences  written  opposite  the  names.  During  the  half 
hour  before  the  time  for  the  school  to  begin  I  was 
seated  at  a  little  table  near  the  door.  As  the  children 
came  in  they  fell  in<"o  line^  and  as  they  moved  by  me  in 
single  file,  each  child  stopped  long  enough  to  give  me 
his  name.  While  I  was  turning  to  it,  there  was  a  mo- 
ment's opportunity  for  getting  acquainted.  It  became 
possible  in  a  short  time  to  call  them  all  by  name. 

W.ien  the  time  came  for  opening  the  school  an  assist- 
ant took  my  place,  and  marked  the  few  stragglers  who 
came  late.  It  was,  also,  my  custom  during  that  year  to 
make  out,  immediately  upon  my  return  from  the  Sun- 
day-school, a  visiting  list  for  the  week.  This  was  done 
by  looking  over  the  class-book  and  writing  on  a  slip  of 
paper  the  names  of  all  who  had  been  absent  two  Sun- 
days. Thirty  was  the  average  number  of  calls  to  be 
made  each  week.      This  method  of  conducting  a  Pri- 


14      Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

mary  Class,  in  contrast  with  the  plan  of  subdivision, 
might  be  compared  with  the  effort  to  do  the  work  of 
thirty  persons  instead  of  setting  thirty  persons  to  work. 
But  you  ask,  "  How  can  you,  as  Primary  Superintend- 
ent, learn  the  names  of  the  children  any  better  when 
thirty  assistants  take  the  attendance  than  when  it  is 
done  by  one  assistant  ?  "  A  sly  question  !  You  will 
have  the  law  of  association  to  help  you.  At  the  weekly 
teachers'  meeting  you  will  enter  into  conversation  with 
the  teachers  about  the  children  in  their  classes,  and 
they  will  be  so  frequently  spoken  of  by  name  that  the 
task  will  be  made  very  easy. 

I  would  not  have  you  understand  by  the  prominence 
I  have  just  given  to  this  matter  of  keeping  the  attend- 
ance, that  I  consider  that  the  chief  duty  of  the  assist- 
ant teachers.  I  am  aware  that  some  primary  teachers 
of  prominence,  who  advocate  the  subdivision  of  the 
Primary  Class,  make  only  a  business  use  of  the  assistant 
teachers,  requiring  them  only  to  mark  the  attendance, 
keep  order,  distribute  books  and  papers,  and  take  up 
the  collection.  The  plan  of  subdivision  is,  to  my  mind, 
thus  shorn  of  its  greatest  benefits,  namely,  the  close 
personal  attention  which  each  child  ought  to  receive  in 
connection  with  the  lesson,  and  the  opportunity  for  the 
culture  and  training  of  teachers. 

With  one  more  thought,  I  will  bring  this  letter  to  a 
close.  Do  not  speak  or  write  of  your  class  as  "  The 
Infant  Class."  According  to  common  usage  an  infant 
is  a  child  in  arms.  You  have  none  of  these  among 
your  scholars  !  According  to  law  an  infant  is  a  minor, 
that  is,  a  person  under  twenty-one  years  of  age.     Your 


Organization.  1 5 

class  does  not  take  in  such  a  range  !  The  majority  of 
teachers  in  the  school  might  with  equal  propriety  say 
they  were  teaching  infant  classes.  In  the  second  place, 
the  name  is  displeasing  to  little  children.  Of  all  per- 
sons in  the  world,  they  are  the  most  desirous  of  being 
called  ''''big''  Under  the  name  "  Infant  Class  "  it  will 
not  be  possible  to  retain  them  as  long  in  this  depart- 
ment as  they  ought  to  be.  In  the  third  place,  the 
name  "  Primary  Class  "  more  truthfully  and  completely 
describes  all  of  the  conditions.  Its  highest  significance 
is  given  in  the  following  epitome  by  Dr.  Vincent : — 

"  They  are  the  dearest  of  all. 
They  are  the  weakest  of  all.  i 
They  are  the  strongest  of  all. 
They  are  the  purest  of  all. 
They  are  the  most  accessible  of  all. 
They  are  the  most  susceptible  of  all. 
They  are  the  most  promising  of  all." 

They  are  the  Primary  Class,  then,  because  they  are 
the  first  in  affectionate  interest,  the  first  in  need  of  care, 
the  first  to  reach  by  influence,  the  first  in  hopefulness, 
therefore  of  primary  importance. 

Yours  in  loving  service,  S.  J.  C. 


1 6       Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 


II. 

Qualities  and  Training  of  the  Primary  Teacher. 

Dear  Teacher  Friend  : — Have  you  ever  painted  in 
your  imagination  a  portrait  of  an  unknown  person, 
about  whom  you  have  often  heard  ?  I  am  quite  sure 
you  have  ;  even  to  the  details  of  stature,  complexion, 
color  of  eyes,  etc.  I  have  in  imagination  painted  your 
portrait  as  a  primary  teacher,  and  I  want  now  to  de- 
scribe it.  If  I  have  given  it  qualities  that  you  do  not 
possess,  it  will  be  possible  for  you  to  attain  them, 

I  am  uncertain  about  your  age,  and  also  about  some 
points  of  your  condition  in  life.  You  may  be  in  early 
youth,  or  at  any  other  point  in  the  journey  of  life  ;  but 
whatever  your  age,  you  have  a  youthful  heart,  a  child- 
like spirit.  You  realize  that  the  tree  of  life  never  bears 
the  sere  and  yellow  leaf;  that  immortality  need  not  put 
on  age.  You  may  be  to  other  children  either  father, 
mother,  sister,  or  brother  ;  but  to  your  own  class  you  are 
the  loving  Christ-friend,  who  has  faith  in  child  piety,  be- 
lieving it  possible  for  the  lambs  to  be  gathered  into  the 
fold  of  the  Church  before  they  have  wandered 

*'  Away  on  the  mountains  wild  and  bare, 
Away  from  the  tender  Shepherd's  care." 

You  may  not  have  attained  to  a  thorough  knowledge 
of  spiritual  things,  but  you  are  an  earnest  student  of  the 
truth.     Your  lesson   is   prayerfully  kept   in   the   under 


Training  of  tJie  Primary  Teacher.  17 

current  of  your  thoughts  all  the  week.  Every  thing 
which  you  touch  does  not  turn  to  gold,  but  somehow 
all  things  which  you  see  or  experience  do  turn  to 
lesson. 

You  have  a  warm  sympathy  with  childhood.  This  is 
shown  in  your  choice  of  words  while  teaching.  Your 
sympathy  has  led  you  to  observe  children  closely,  that 
you  may  learn  their  peculiar  idioms  to  adopt  when 
teaching.  Thus  your  language  has  become  sifnplijied 
without  being  sillified.  The  child  idioms  are  your  pass- 
words to  the  child  mind.  I  cannot  commend,  however, 
the  habit  of  that  primary  teacher  in  a  mission  school, 
who  made  it  a  point  to  make  the  same  mistakes  in 
grammar  and  pronunciation  which  his  pupils  common- 
ly did,  in  order  that  he  might  show  himself  in  sym- 
pathy with  them.  It  was  a  decided  error,  although 
it  came  from  a  loving  heart.  Not  the  mistakes  of 
children  should  be  imitated,  but  their  bright,  natural 
sayings. 

There  is  about  your  picture  an  unmistakable  vivacity. 
I  might  say  of  you  as  a  little  child  once  said  of  his  sis- 
ter: "My  heart  is  warm  when  I  look  at  you."  Your 
good  cheer,  I  know,  is  not  assumed,  for  that  would  be  a 
counterfeit  soon  discovered  by  even  the  smallest  child 
in  your  class.  I  can  imagine  that  your  vivacity  will 
lead  you  to  be  playful  with  your  little  pupils,  not  idly 
so,  but  rather  with  a  desire  to  lead  the  children  to  love 
what  you  teach  them.  With  children  particularly  there 
is  a  close  relation  between  the  emotional  nature  and 
the  intellectual  faculties.  Your  purpose  to  lead  the 
children  to  love  what  you  teach  them  makes  you  ear- 
2 


1 8      Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

nest  while  you  are  playful,  and  playful  while  you  are 
earnest. 

I  see  in  your  face  a  mildness  tempered  not  with  ill 
nature,  but  with  determination.  I  should  call  the  com- 
bination, loving  firmness.  If  you  were  loving  without 
being  firm,  you  would  become  involved  in  many  per- 
plexing questions  about  controlling  your  pupils.  If 
you  were  firm  only,  how  could  you  teach  the  mercy  and 
loving-kindness  of  God.-* 

If  I  have  not  in  all  points  correctly  drawn  your  por- 
trait, will  you  not  strive  to  make  it  true  .'' 

You  may  also  use  this  picture  of  a  model  Primary 
Class  teacher  to  identify  those  whom  you  would  make 
your  assistants  in  case  you  desire  to  organize  a  class  on 
the  plan  proposed  in  the  preceding  letter.  The  best 
teachers  in  the  school  ought  to  be  in  the  Primary  Class, 
for  the  impressions  made  are  to  have  a  longer  influence 
on  life  than  those  made  anywhere  else,  because  there  is 
more  of  life  to  influence.  Mothers  of  little  children  make 
the  best  primary  teachers.  Hardly  second  to  these  are 
young  ladies  who  are  apt  to  teach,  and  whose  Christian 
life  needs  the  developing  influence  of  Christian  work. 

After  you  have  chosen  your  teachers,  you  can  secure 
for  them  a  course  in  training  by  a  weekly  meeting  of 
the  teachers  of  sub-classes  with  the  Primary  Superin- 
tendent, either  for  the  purpose  of  drill  in  methods  of 
teaching,  or  to  secure  harmony  of  thought  and  purpose 
between  the  class  exercises  and  the  general  exercises. 
In  order  to  make  a  complete  co-operation  between  the 
Primary  Superintendent  and  teachers,  it  will  be  neces- 
sary that  the  division  of  the  lesson,  both  in  matter  and 


Training  of  tJie  Primary  Teacher.  19 

tiine,  be  understood  by  all.  And  it  is  desirable,  also, 
that  the  hearts  of  all  should  be  informed  and  enthused 
by  conversation  and  prayer  on  the  lesson.  When  a  les- 
son can  be  secured  which  is  prepared  for  a  class  thus 
organized,  (as  in  the  specimen  lessons  given  in  the  Ap- 
pendix of  this  book,)  not  much  time  need  be  spent  in 
studying  the  lesson,  but  most  of  the  hour  can  be  de- 
voted to  normal  work,  that  is,  studying  how  to  teach. 
If  the  teachers  are  inexperienced,  this  meeting  may  be 
conducted  as  a  Normal  Class.  Specimen  and  practice 
lessons  should  be  given,  followed  by  discussion  and  the 
taking  of  notes,  with  hints  upon  various  topics  connected 
with  teaching.  Members  of  Bible-classes  can  thus  be 
developed  into  enthusiastic,  skillful  teachers,  and  in  the 
end  find  the  work  vastly  more  to  their  spiritual  profit 
than  simply  the  hearing  of  the  Word.  A  working  Chris- 
tian is  always  a  growing  Christian.  It  is  very  desirable 
that  these  teachers  should  also  attend  the  regular  teach- 
ers' meeting  for  their  own  personal  profit  in  the  study 
of  the  Scriptures. 

If  you,  as  Primary  Superintendent,  are  able  from  your 
own  experience  and  reading  to  give  normal  suggestions 
in  the  primary  teachers'  meeting,  that  will  be  the  best 
mode  of  instruction  ;  but  if  not,  and  you  can  secure  the 
services  of  any  person  competent  for  this  work  in  or 
outside  of  the  school,  let  it  be  done.  If  neither  of  these 
two  plans  is  practicable,  let  some  good  book  be  selected 
for  study,  and  at  the  weekly  meetings  let  there  be  a 
conversation  upon  a  chapter  or  theme  designated  one 
or  two  weeks  beforehand.  Two  of  the  best  books  I  can 
recommend  for  such   use    are  "  The  Infant  Class,"  by 


20      Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

Mrs.  Knox,  and  "  The  Infant  Class,"  by  Charles  Reed, 
M.  P.,  of  London  ;  or  you  might  thus  use  my  Letters. 

In  the  following  list  of  books,  which  can  be  purchased 
at  a  trifling  cost,  there  are  parts  which  might  be  adapted 
to  the  primary  teachers'  weekly  meeting.  Those  marked 
with  the  asterisk  are  English  publications.  Our  Work,* 
Groser  ;  Child  and  Book,*  Dunning  ;  The  Art  of  Secur- 
ing Attention,  Fitch  ;  The  Art  of  Questioning,  Fitch  ;  The 
Use  of  Illustration,  Freeman ;  Illustrative  Teaching* 
Groser ;  Through  the  Eye  to  the  Heart,  (with  an  appen- 
dix for  Primary  Teachers,)  Crafts. 

A  course  of  primary  reading  will  be  invaluable  for 
every  teacher  in  addition  to  the  study  of  the  normal 
text-book.  Dream-life,  by  Ik  Marvel ;  Child  Pictures, 
from  Dickens ;  Childhood  the  Text-Book  of  the  Age, 
Crafts  ;  Children  with  the  Poets  ;  most  of  George  Mac- 
Donald's  books ;  also,  books  written  to  children,  as 
The  Children  s  Church,  Faith  Latimer ;  Peep  of  Day 
Scries ;  Dr.  Newton's  Sermons  to  Children;  Talking  to 
Children,*  A.  MacLeod.  Children's  periodicals  will 
also  be  helpful  to  the  primary  teacher,  such  as  St.  Nich- 
olas, The  Nursery,  and  Infant's  Magazine* 

The  most  important  element  of  all  in  the  training  of 
teachers  is  the  personal  study  of  childhood. 

"  A  geologist  never  passes  a  cliff  without  noticing  the 
formation.  A  mineralogist  sees  a  rare  stone,  or  a  bot- 
anist a  peculiar  flower,  as  he  rides  rapidly  along  the 
road.  A  teacher  of  children  should  study  with  equal 
care  the  words  and  ways  of  every  group  of  children  seen 
by  the  fireside  or  the  wayside." 

Yours,  in  loving  service,  S.  J.  C. 


Place  and  Programme. 


III. 
Place  and  Programme. 

Dear  Teacher  Friend  : — Have  you  ever  read  Mrs. 
Whitney's  "  Hitherto  ?  "  If  so,  you  will  readily  recall 
the  dream  houses  which  the  '*  Polisher  gi rises  "  built. 
Said  one  of  them  to  Hope  Devine,  "  I  declare  we've 
had  it  over  so  much  that  I  can  see  every  identical  thing, 
and  smell  the  grapes  ;  it's  quite  old  in  our  minds,  you 
see,  though  we've  never  got  the  chance  to  do  it.  We 
sit  out  here  when  it  gets  shady,  and  tell  on  about  it  till 
it  seems  real." 

"  I  think  that's  beautiful !  "  cried  Hope,  her  eyes  shin- 
ing ;  "you  can  have  so  many  things  so." 

As  yet,  my  ideal  primary  class  room  is  a  dream  ;  but 
now  I  am  going  "to  tell  on  about  it  till  it  seems  real." 
First,  you  will  want  to  know  how  it  is  situated.  It  is 
just  as  near  the  Superintendent  of  the  Sunday-school 
as  possible,  where  the  sight  of  the  children  is  a  de- 
light to  all  others,  and  where  the  Superintendent  can 
use  them  to  advantage  in  the  general  exercises,  and 
also  where  the  children  are  in  the  best  position  to 
see  blackboard  work  and  to  be  interested.  When  I 
have  seen  a  Superintendent  try  to  enlist  the  atten- 
tion, and  talk  with  a  large  class  of  little  children  at 
the  back  part  of  the  room  with  the  whole  school  be- 
tween him  and  them,  I  have  often  been  reminded  of 
the  child's  song  : — 


22      Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

"  A  little  bird  sat  in  a  cherry  tree, 
And  whistled  and  sang  '  You  can't  shoot  me, 
Cuckoo,  cuckoo.'  " 

My  ideal  room  has  large  folding  doors  entirely  of 
wood.  It  has  no  glass  at  all,  for  we  do  not  care  to  look 
out,  or  to  have  visitors  look  in,  while  we  are  saying  our 
lessons.  The  floor  is  level,  and  covered  with  a  bright, 
cheery  carpet.  By  my  side  stands  my  little  table,  useful 
in  many  ways.  My  bell  is  not  on  it,  for  I  lost  that  some 
time  ago,  and  I  do  not  care  to  get  another,  having  found 
greater  magnetism  in  the  voice,  to  call  to  order  or  direct, 
than  in  the  tongue  of  the  bell. 

I  am  sure  you  never  saw  any  thing  more  comfortable 
or  cunning  than  those  little  cane-seated  chairs  without 
arms,  and  with  seats  only  twelve  inches  high.  During 
the  introductory  and  closing  exercises  the  little  chairs 
are  arranged  in  straight  rows  in  front  of  me,  but  when  I 
give  the  lesson  to  my  assistant  teachers  they  are  clus- 
tered in  groups  about  each  teacher,  who  also  sits  on  one 
of  the  little  chairs,  so  that  she  may  literally  become  as 
a  little  child.  Such  a  cosy  arrangement  would  not  be 
possible  upon  a  floor  elevated  by  tiers,  which  has  be- 
come a  popular  plan,  although  its  popularity  cannot  be 
based  upon  comfort. 

There  is  still  another  advantage  in  the  level  floor; 
that  is,  the  room  need  not  be  given  up  wholly  to  the 
primary  class,  but  may  be  used  for  other  purposes  dur- 
ing the  week. 

There  is  plenty  of  light  and  fresh  air  in  my  room, 
abundance  of  sunshine  coming  in  and  making  us  all 
glad. 


Place  and  Programme.  23 

There  are  pictures  and  mottoes  on  the  wall,  brought 
by  the  children  to  decorate  their  Sunday  home.  There 
are  plants  and  vines  at  the  windows  which  require  a  lit- 
tle of  my  attention  through  the  week.  They  add  much 
of  that  element  of  "  at-home-ativeness  "  which  I  would 
have  pervade  every  thing. 

Over  in  a  corner  is  a  small  cabinet  which  has  in  it 
treasures  for  illustrating  the  lesson,  such  as  my  picture 
scrap-book,  maps,  blackboard  outlines,  etc. 

My  blackboard  is  not  very  large,  and  stands  on  a  light 
easel,  so  that  I  can  move  it  to  the  most  advantageous 
positions. 

The  organ  is  placed  at  my  right  hand.  Its  sweet  and 
sure  tones  enable  me  always  to  give  the  children  the 
right  pitch,  and  in  other  ways  it  is  a  great  help  to  us 
all. 

"  It's  quite  old  in  our  minds,  you  see,  though  we've 
never  got  the  chance  to  do  it."  But  instead,  (if  it  will 
be  any  comfort  for  you  to  know  it,)  I  have  taught  some- 
times in  dark,  damp  basements,  sometimes  in  the  prayer- 
meeting  rooms  with  high  settees.  Only  once  have  I  had 
the  little  chairs ;  only  in  two  instances  has  there  been 
a  carpet  on  the  floor.  Sometimes  I  have  used  a  door  for 
a  blackboard,  and,  indeed,  have  made  the  best  of  every 
kind  of  inconvenience,  with  promises  and  hopes  of  bet- 
ter things  by  and  b) .  I  have  tried  to  submit  patiently 
to  all  these  drawbacks  to  my  work,  being  very  decided 
upon  one  point,  however,  that  is,  not  to  teach  my  class 
in  the  general  Sunday-school  room. 

I  firmly  believe  that  my  ideal  room  must  contain  some 
features  within  the  reach  of  every  Sunday-school,  and 


24      Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

for  those  who  are  building  or  remodeling,  its  complete 
realization  would  not  be  extravagant. 

You  will  find  more  reality  than  dreams  in  the  fol- 
lowing 

Programme. 

I.  Greeting  : 

Pri7nary  Suft.  Jesus  said,  Suffer  the  little  children  to 
come  unto  me. 

Children.  The  Lord  is  my  shepherd. 

[As  a  change  for  .i.lternate  months  the  following  may  be  used :] 

Primary  Stip't.  They  that  seek  me  early  shall  find 
me. 

Children.  O  satisfy  us  early  with  thy  mercy,  that  we 
may  rejoice  and  be  glad  all  our  days. 

II.  Prayer  (by  the  Primary  Superintendent,  children 
repeating  clause  by  clause — sometimes  to  be  made  by 
one  child  for  all  the  rest.) 

III.  Song,  (all  rising.) 

IV.  Money  Collected. 

V.  Response. 

Frijftary  Sup't.  Come,  ye  children,  hearken  unto  me ; 
I  will  teach  you  the  fear  of  the  Lord. 

Childrefi.  The  fear  of  the  Lord  is  the  beginning  of 
wisdom. 

VI.  Marking  the  Attendance. 

VII.  Introductory  Exercise  by  Primary  Superin- 
tendent,    (lo  minutes.) 

VIII.  Lesson  Tau^jht  by  assistant  teachers.  (15 
minutes.) 

IX.  Song,  (appro])riate  to  the  lesson  if  possible.) 


Place  mid  Programme.  25 

X.  Closing  Exercise  by  Primary  Superintendent. 
(10  minutes.) 

XI.  Closing  Prayer. 

XII.  Song. 

XIII.  Books  and  Papers  Given  out. 

XIV.  Dismission. 

In  the  above  programme  no  provision  is  made  for 
the  Primary  Class  to  take  part  in  either  the  opening  or 
closing  exercises  of  the  main  school.  Little  children 
are  apt  to  become  weary  and  restless  during  the  open- 
ing exercises,  which  are  usually  long,  and  thus  the  fresh- 
est and  most  valuable  moments  are  lost.  For  this  rea- 
son it  is  advisable  that  they  should  not  then  be  present. 
But  it  would  certainly  be  well  for  them  to  join  the  main 
school  at  the  close,  if  they  are  given  a  part  in  the  Re- 
view Exercises. 

It  may  be  said  in  general,  the  place  and  programme 
should  be  arranged  with  due  regard  to  the  instincts  of 
childhood.  In  adaptation  to  the  "  Instinct  of  Activity," 
there  should  be  the  greatest  possible  variety.  Interest, 
attention,  good  discipline,  and  almost  every  other  good 
quality,  die  in  monotony.  Very  few  changes,  of  course, 
can  be  made  in  the  place;  occasionally,  however,  the 
arrangement  of  the  furniture  and  decorations  may  be 
varied.  On  the  programme  there  may  be  variety  not 
only  in  the  order,  but  in  the  exercises  themselves;  for 
instance,  in  singing,  sometimes  let  the  boys  or  girls  sing 
separately,  or  let  the  teacher  sing  alone ;  and  at  other 
times  let  the  whole  class  sing  together.  In  praying,  let 
the  teacher  sometimes  pray  alone ;  at  other  times  let 
one  child  pray ;  or  let  the  teacher  pray  and  the  children 


26       Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

follow,  sentence  by  sentence;  or  let  the  whole  class 
engage  in  silent  prayer;  or  let  as  many  as  will  pray 
successively.  A  change  in  the  programme  could  be 
made  by  singing  and  praying  out  of  the  usual  order; 
by  sometimes  having  the  Primary  Superintendent  teach 
the  whole  lesson  ;  at  other  times,  by  having  the  assistant 
teachers  give  the  introductory  and  closing  exercises,  and 
the  Primary  Superintendent  teaching  that  part  usually 
assigned  to  the  assistants.  One  of  the  most  restful 
changes  that  can  be  made  is  a  change  of  position. 
Little  people  must  move  frequently,  and  it  is  certainly 
better  that  they  should  do  it  in  an  orderly  than  in  a 
disorderly  manner.  Therefore,  a  wise  teacher  will  pro- 
vide frequent  changes  of  position.  One  of  the  most 
agreeable  ways  in  which  this  can  be  done  is  to  adapt 
motions  of  the  hands  and  feet  to  songs.  I  shall  write 
more  about  this  in  a  future  letter. 

Among  the  most  vivid  memories  of  my  childhood  are 
the  spells  of  "  fidgets  "  that  used  to  come  over  me  when 
obliged  to  sit  still.  I  can  liken  them  to  nothing  besides 
the  nightmare  transformed  from  sleeping  to  waking  mo- 
ments. It  is  one  of  the  greatest  follies  a  teacher  can 
commit  to  command  children  to  "be  still."  "Never 
tell  children  to  keep  still  "  is  an  invariable  rule  with  me 
in  my  teaching  ;  but  instead,  I  try  to  keep  every  body  so 
busy  by  a  frequent  change  of  exercise  that  the  Instinct 
of  Activity  is  fully  employed. 

"  The  Instinct  of  Horticulture,"  which  leads  to  so 
many  delights  in  the  child-world,  is  gratified  by  seeing 
plants  or  bouquets  in  the  Sabbath- school  room,  and  by 
the  use  of  them,  as  often  as  may  be,  for  illustration. 


Place  and  Programme.  2/ 

"  The  Instinct  of  Invention  and  Imitation  "  is,  per- 
haps, one  of  the  most  marked  characteristics  of  child- 
hood. Children  are  not  only  miniature  men  and  women 
in  stature,  but  in  pursuits  and  pastimes  as  well.  Moth- 
er hasher  family  responsibilities  and  cares;  the  little 
daughter  assumes  the  same  with  her  family  of  dolls. 
Father  has  a  store ;  the  little  son  must  have  a  store,  too, 
with  a  chair  for  a  counter,  and  toy  money  for  hard  cash. 
The  Sabbath-school  teacher  will  by  the  way  of  this 
instinct  find  an  easy  and  pleasant  method  of  teaching 
and  controlling  her  class.  It  has  been  abused  by  some 
teachers,  who  require  children  to  repeat  things  which 
they  do  not  understand  ;  for  instance  : — 

Teacher^  [reading  from  a  book.]  Adam  and  Eve  lived 
in  the  garden  of  Eden.     Repeat. 

Class.  Adam  and  Eve  lived  in  the  garden  of  Eden. 

T,  In  the  middle  of  the  garden  stood  the  tree  of 
the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil.     Repeat. 

C.  In  the  middle  of  the  garden  stood  the  tree  of  the 
knowledge  of  good  and  evil. 

T.  The  serpent  tempted  the  woman  and  she  did  eat. 
Repeat. 

C.  The  serpent  tempted  the  woman  and  she  did  eat. 

The  most  delightful  exercise  of  this  instinct  may  be 
found  in  the  movement  songs  before  referred  to ;  in 
looking  at  mottoes  or  pictures  on  the  blackboard,  or  in 
the  drawing  by  the  children  themselves  when  it  is  pos- 
sible. (See  specimen  lesson  on  The  Cross.)  In  manag- 
ing the  class  do  yourself  what  you  desire  the  children 
to  do,  since  it  will  be  easier  for  them  to  obey  by  imitat- 
ing you   than  by  any  other  way.     Sing  louder  if  you 


28       Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

want  them  to  sing  louder;  sit  straight  if  you  want  them 
to  do  so;  be  cheerful  and  bright  if  you  would  have 
them  so.  You  will  quickly  see  how  powerful  is  your 
example,  and  how  strong  is  the  tendency  of  the  children 
to  imitate.  In  the  readiness  with  which  they  will  copy 
these  slight  things,  there  is  a  deep  significance  for  you. 
They  will  just  as  closely  imitate  the  unconscious  in- 
fluence which  you  are  exerting — the  silent  side — what 
you  are  as  well  as  what  you  do. 

"  The  Rhythmic  Instinct,"  shown  in  the  love  of  music, 
may  be  provided  for  in  the  programme  by  frequent 
singing,  and  also  by  concert  recitations,  such  as  repeat- 
ing together  the  Twenty-third  Psalm  and  the  Ten  Com- 
mandments, and  occasional  simultaneous  replies  to  ques- 
tions. The  movement  songs  are  also  gratifying  to  this 
instinct. 

"  The  Instinct  of  Investigation,"  which  prompts  chil- 
dren every-where  to  inquire  into  matters,  even  to  break 
their  toys  to  see  how  they  are  made,  may  be  given  de- 
lightful exercise  by  the  frequent  changes  recommended 
in  the  place  and  programme.  The  state  of  curiosity  as 
to  what  will  come  next  will  help  to  keep  attention  and 
interest.  It  should  be  the  aim  of  the  Primary  Superin- 
tendent in  the  Introductory  Exercise  to  arouse  this  In- 
stinct of  Investigation,  so  that  the  soil,  the  heart,  will 
be  readily  prepared  for  the  lesson-seed  which  the  assist- 
ant teachers  will  put  in. 

"  The  Social  Instinct  "  is  gratified  by  gathering  to- 
gether children  of  the  same  age  in  one  room,  that  by 
example  and  sympathy  they  may  be  a  help  to  each 
other.     In  a  general  way,  the  Social  Instinct  is  gratified 


Place  and  Programme.  29 

in  the  prayers,  songs,  introductory  and  closing  exer- 
cises which  are  participated  in  by  the  whole  company. 
It  is  more  perfectly  done  when  the  children  are  gath- 
ered in  little  groups  about  the  assistant  teachers. 

*'  The  Instinct  of  God-trust  "  is  exercised  in  the  Sun- 
day-school room  by  association  with  things  which  are 
remindful  of  God,  such  as  the  place  itself,  a  part  of  the 
church,  the  mottoes  on  the  walls,  and  the  plants  in  the 
window.  The  employments  should  also  be  remindful  of 
God ;  the  prayers  and  songs  full  of  devotional  spirit ; 
the  lesson,  not  the  reading  of  some  cunningly  devised 
fable,  but  an  earnest  and  simple  presentation  of  God's 
own  truth. 

Let  there  be  harmony  and  unity  in  all  things  pertain- 
ing to  the  place  and  programme :  harinony  between  the 
child-nature  and  its  surroundings ;  harmony  between 
the  surroundings  and  the  occasion  ;  harmony  between 
young  hearts  and  the  great  heart  of  God  ;  unity  in  mak- 
ing every  thing  contribute  toward  this  high  end,  exclud- 
ing all  that  simply  answers  or  entertains. 

Yours  in  loving  service,  S.  J.  C. 


30      Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 


IV. 

The  Lesson. 

Dear  Teacher  Friend  : — Is  it  not  deplorable,  that 
after  visiting  a  large  number  of  Primary  Classes  and 
hearing  from  others,  that  one  should  be  obliged  to  say, 
"  It  is  the  exception  and  not  the  rule  to  find  the  In- 
ternational Lessons  taught  to  small  children  ?"  Do  you 
ask  how  the  teachers  are  occupied  and  what  the  chil- 
dren do  ?  Some  you  would  find  clinging  to  the  use  of 
the  Catechism,  asking  still,  "  Who  was  the  first  man  ?  " 
"  Who  was  the  first  woman  ?  "  etc.  Others  use  question 
books  that  have  gone  completely  out  of  print ;  it  is 
astonishing  how  long  a  few  old  copies  will  last.  The 
lesson  in  these  is  usually  marked  by  two  crosses.  One 
Sunday  I  was  asked  to  take  a  class  and  "  hear  a  lesson  " 
which  had  thus  been  assigned.  They  all  said  "  they 
knew  their  lesson  by  heart."  So  I  proceeded  to  ask 
the  questions  in  my  own  way,  making  slight  changes  in 
the  language.  The  result  was  nobody  could  "say  their 
lessons  ;  "  but  when  I  afterward  followed  closely  the 
question  book  the  answers  were  rattled  off  unhesitat- 
ingly. Then  I  endeavored  to  show  them  how  those 
questions  might  be  changed  and  receive  the  same  an- 
swers, which  caused  a  new  light  to  break  into  all  their 
faces. 

Other  teachers  you  would  find  who  use  a  series  of 
lessons  selected  by  an  indefinite  somebody,  but  which 


The  Lesson.  31 

they  know  to  be  good,  because  they  have  tried  them  for 
thirty  years !  They  thus  deprive  themselves  of  helps 
and  shut  themselves  in  the  darkness  by  excluding  the 
light  and  magnetism  which  is  shed  abroad  in  the  Chris- 
tian world  through  the  International  Lessons. 

Other  teachers  occupy  themselves  in  "  hearing  verses." 
Under  such  circumstances  you  would  probably  find  most 
of  the  children  occupied  with  making  mischief,  and  the 
teacher  quite  engaged  in  "  trying  to  keep  them  still." 

Several  years  ago  I  spent  a  Sunday  in  a  Primary 
Class  where  the  children  were  taught  to  read  from  a  sort 
of  religious  primer.  Great  efforts  were  expended  to 
have  them  read  and  spell  such  sentences  as  "  Sin  is 
woe."  The  memory  of  those  torn  and  soiled  books  is 
very  vivid.  They  were  in  no  way  suggestive  of  the 
clean  hands  and  pure  heart  which  are  a  part  of  the 
religion  undefiled  before  God. 

You  know  how  very  attractive  the  singing  of  little 
children  is.  You  would  find  that  some  classes  are 
taught  to  do  little  else  than  sing.  Worst  of  all,  you 
would  find  some  teachers,  and  not  a  small  number, 
occupying  the  entire  hour  in  relating  those  frivolous, 
fascinating  tales  and  fairy  stories,  so  readily  obtained 
from  the  columns  of  our  newspapers,  and  the  works  of 
fiction  with  which  our  Sabbath-school  libraries  abound. 
To  these  the  pupils  listen  with  the  utmost  eagerness, 
the  earnest  look  and  changing  tone  betraying  the 
ascendency  which  these  narratives  are  gaining  over 
their  susceptible  minds.     One  teacher  said, 

"  It  keeps  me  busy  during  the  week  hunting  up  incidents  to  amuse 
my  little  boys  and  girls,  as  they  cannot  understand  Bible  truths  yet." 


32      Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

What  a  mistake!  No  books  so  well  adapted  even  to 
the  children  as  the  Bible  :  and  no  truths  will  interest 
them  like  the  truths  of  the  Gospel. 

Why  are  not  the  International  Lessons  in  general  use  in 
primary  departments  ?  Teachers  reply,  "  It  is  not  pos- 
sible to  teach  them  to  little  children."  The  aim  of  the 
Lesson  Committee  is  not  to  select  the  hard  things  of 
the  Bible  to  confound  the  wise,  but  rather  such  portions 
as  contain  both  "  the  strong  meat  "  and  "  the  sincere 
milk."  Where  could  one  find  more  attractive  stories 
than  those  about  Joseph,  Moses,  Joshua,  and  the  Israel- 
ites .''  Or  what  could  so  touch  the  heart  of  the  youngest 
child  as  the  incidents  in  the  life  of  One  who  regards 
them  with  a  love  unspeakable  ?  An  experience  of  five 
years  in  writing  the  International  Lessons  adapted  to 
the  primary  department  and  in  teaching  those  same  les- 
sons has  proved  the  possibility  to  my  entire  satisfaction. 
And  I  have  seen  the  most  gracious  results  upon  the 
children,  and  upon  other  portions  of  the  school  as  well, 
who,  while  listening  to  a  review  of  the  lesson,  were 
astonished  that  out  of  the  mouth  of  dades  praise  should 
be  perfected,  and  were  thus  themselves  stirred  to  a  new 
interest  in  the  truth.  So  much  and  more  might  be  said 
about  the  matter  of  the  lesson ;  but  lest  my  letter  should 
grow  too  long,  we  will  now  consider  the  manner  of  teach- 
ing the  lesson.  Miss  Lathbury  says,  in  the  Sunday- 
School  Jourfial : — 

"  There  is  nothing  prettier  than  a  bed  of  pansies,  ex- 
cept an  infant  class.  The  class  I  have  in  mind  num- 
bered about  one  hundred,  and  looked  as  if  a  summer 
wind  were  passing  over  the  pansy-bed,  there  was  such  a 


The  Lesson.  33 

restless  bobbing  of  little  heads.  There  stood  the  lady 
teacher  before  them,  giving  the  most  charming  of  talks. 
But  she  did  not  hold  the  eyes  of  the  children.  She 
tried  to  draw  them  with  questions,  but  they  answered 
without  looking  at  her.  She  interspersed  bits  of  song, 
but  all  did  not  sing.  I  was  ready  to  say,  '  What  can  in- 
terest children  if  this  doesn't  .'*'  But  I  saw  the  diffi- 
culty. The  teacher  talked  with  her  voice,  but  not  with 
her  face;  that  was  unsympathetic,  expressionless,  cold. 

"  In  the  progress  of  the  lesson  the  teacher  related  an 
incident  in  which  she  must  have  had  a  personal  interest, 
for  the  color  came  into  her  cheeks,  and  her  whole  face 
was  full  of  feeling.  I  looked  at  the  children,  and  I  saw 
she  had  gained  them.  They  were  all  daisies  now,  look- 
ing straight  at  the  sun. 

"  1  wish  the  teacher  could  have  held  them  through 
the  lesson  ;  but  when  the  light  died  out  of  her  face  the 
daisies  all  became  swaying  pansies  again." 

The  import  of  this  is  that  a  teacher  must  have  an  in- 
terested, sympathetic  face,  which  shall  be  the  expres- 
sion of  a  deep  and  personal  interest  in  Christ. 

I  want  to  give  you  also  a  bright  bit  from  Dr.  Ormis- 
ton,  which  contains  a  helpful  hint :  "  When  a  boy  I 
amused  myself,  as  is  common,  in  hunting  birds'  nests. 
In  order  to  feed  the  callow  young  birds  it  was  necessary 
to  chirp  to  them  like  the  old  bird  to  get  them  to  open 
their  mouths  to  receive  the  food.  I  found  that  chirping 
right  was  very  difficult.  So  you  infant-class  teachers 
will  find  it  very  difficult  to  chirp  right.  The  mother- 
bird  feeling  has  to  be  pretty  strong  in  one  in  order  to 
get  the  knack  of  that  chirp.     But  when  one  has  that 


34      Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

there  is  no  difficulty  whatever."  That  same  mother-bird 
feeling  in  the  heart  of  the  mother  is  always  suggesting 
some  little  gift  or  service  for  the  child,  though  not  as  a 
reward,  and  so  it  should  be  in  the  heart  of  the  teacher.* 
A  gift  connected  with  the  lesson  would  be  most  appro- 
priate— the  golden  text  given  in  some  attractive  form 
which  would  induce  the  child  to  learn  it.  A  few  Sun- 
days ago  each  child  in  our  class  was  given  a  paper  cross 
on  which  was  written,  "  I  have  set  before  you  life  and 
death,  blessing  and  cursing."  Longer  ago  we  gave 
small  paper  flags  fastened  on  little  sticks,  on  one  side 
of  which  was  written  "  Jehovah-nissi,"  on  the  other, 
"When  I  cry  unto  thee,  then  will  mine  enemies  turn 
back."  (For  other  examples,  see  specimen  lessons.) 
Just  as  the  children  put  such  little  gifts  carefully  away 
in  their  treasure  boxes,  so  God's  words  on  them  shall  be 
counted  among  their  heart  treasures. 

Almost  unconsciously,  one  may  become  the  slave  of 
written  or  printed  preparations  of  the  lesson.  When  a 
mother  holds  an  earnest  conversation  with  her  child  she 
does  not  read  something  which  she  has  prepared  before- 
hand, although  she  has  pondered  the  matter  in  her  heart 
and  has  determined  what  she  will  say  at  the  time  she 
talks  out  of  the  abundance  of  her  heart.  As  teacher- 
mothers,  let  us  then  accustom  ourselves  to  teach  with- 
out a  paper,  or  book  of  any  kind  save  the  Bible.  Mr. 
Moody  has  well  said,  that  a  question  book,  or  lesson  leaf 
in  a  class,  are  like  a  lump  of  ice  between  two  lovers. 
Our  lessons  should  be  learned  so  well  before  coming  to 
the  class  that  we  should  not  need  any  helps  to  memory. 

*  See  gift  suggested  in  specimen  lesson  on  "  The  Mind  of  Christ." 


The  Lesson.  35 

Thus  are  fulfilled  the  two  best  conditions  of  the  teacher 
as  given  by  Dr.  Vincent,  that  is,  a  fixed  purpose,  and 
an  emancipated  eye. 

One  of  the  most  essential  things  to  do  in  teaching  the 
lesson  is  to  get  the  children  to  think.  "  He  has  no  opin- 
ion of  his  own,"  we  sometimes  hear  said  of  some  one. 
The  same  might  be  said  of  many  people  by  whom  opin- 
ions are  accepted  rather  than  received.  And  oftentimes 
what  we  call  "  changing  the  mind  "  is  simply  the  first 
thoughtful  decision.  But  do  you  think  it  is  safe  to 
teach  children  the  religion  of  Christ,  a  matter  which 
must  decide  their  soul's  eternal  welfare,  in  such  a  manner 
that  a  thoughtful  awakening  may  open  the  way  to  doubt  "^ 
Should  not  the  understanding  be  converted  as  well  as 
the  heart }  One  of  the  best  rules  ever  given  to 
teachers  is,  "  Never  tell  a  child  what  you  can  lead 
him  (by  questions  and  illustrations)  to  discover  for  him- 
self." 

We  will  take  away  half  the  pleasure  of  the  lesson  if 
we  tell  children  every  thing  we  want  them  to  know. 
Let  us  for  a  moment  try  to  put  ourselves  in  their  places. 
It  is  a  great  delight  to  visit  a  green-house  in  the  winter; 
the  fragrant  air,  the  bright  blossoms,  the  genial  warmth 
and  springing  life  offering  a  wide  contrast  to  the  winter- 
land  outside.  Which  should  we  prefer,  to  be  invited 
by  a  friend  to  pass  through  the  green-house,  or  to  be 
left  outside  and  be  told  simply  of  the  beauty  within  ? 
I  am  thinking  that  we  are  in  danger  of  taking  all  the 
gladsomeness  out  of  the  child-heart  by  depriving  it  of 
the  sweets  which  it  might  gather  in  the  genial  summer- 
land  of  thought. 


36      Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

Perhaps  you  would  ask  now,  How  can  children  be 
aroused  to  think  ?  Make  an  interrogation  point  out  of 
every  child  in  the  class.  "  The  Instinct  of  Investigation" 
is  the  teacher's  most  available  point  in  the  child's  na- 
ture. To  teach  a  class  of  children  without  arousing  this 
instinct,  might  be  compared  to  eating  withered  radishes 
which  have  lost  all  their  pungency  and  fresh  crispness. 
Yes,  but  here  S ,  by  my  side,  says,  "  You  have  un- 
bolted one  door  only  to  lead  to  another  as  closely 
locked.  How  are  we  to  arouse  curiosity  ?  "  I  will  tell 
you,  as  I  did  her,  of  a  missionary  talk  which  I  heard  a 
speaker  give  to  a  company  of  children.  After  talking 
for  a  few  moments  about  missionaries,  he  said  that  he 
had  brought  a  large  number  of  missionaries  with  him. 
Would  they  like  to  see  them.? — they  were  under  his 
handkerchief  on  the  table.  At  that  point  I  saw  con- 
siderable unavailing  peeping  done,  but  the  "  interroga- 
tion points  "  were  left  to  grow  still  more  full  of  wonder 
while  the  great  good  which  missionaries  do  was  told 
them.  Then  the  handkerchief  was  lifted  and  a  pile  of 
pennies  was  seen.  The  children  were  then  urged  to 
send  many  such  missionaries  every  Sunday.  This 
same  curious  interest  will  be  a  great  help  to  the 
memory,  and  surely  if  there  is  any  thing  we  should  seek 
to  do  it  is  to  give  the  lesson  in  such  a  way  that  it  will  be 
remembered.  We  should  not  be  content  with  reviewing 
lessons  once  each  quarter,  or  each  month,  but  rather 
review  from  week  to  week,  and  indeed  no  lesson  is  well 
taught  that  is  not  largely  made  up  of  reviews  of  parts 
already  given.  "  Never  give  a  piece  of  information 
without  asking  for  it  again."     Have  you  not  had  gratify- 


The  Lesson.  37 

ing  proof  of  your  success  in  teaching  a  lesson  thorough- 
ly by  hearing  a  parent  tell  you  that  the  child  day 
after  day  repeated  your  precepts  in  his  play  Sunday- 
school  ? 

There  are  yet  four  other  points  which  occur  to  me 
about  this  subject  of  the  lesson.  I  will  simply  state 
them,  and  leave  their  elaboration  to  your  own  thoughts. 

1.  Seek  to  make  one  definite  point  rather  than  to  teach 
the  entire  lesson. 

2.  Study  to  make  a  variety  in  method. 

3.  Learn  a  great  deal  more  about  the  lesson  than  you 
expect  to  teach. 

4.  Make  the  lesson  contribute  to  the  child's  love  of  the 
Bible.  I  must  add  a  few  words  upon  this  point.  It  is  a 
sad  fact  that  there  is  no  book  so  neglected  by  Chris- 
tians as  the  Bible.  A  class  of  Christian  ladies  of  aver- 
age intelligence  were  unable  to  answer  the  question, 
"  What  was  the  tabernacle  1  "  One  thought  it  was  a 
pile  of  stones.  Would  there  be  such  deplorable  igno- 
rance if  there  were  a  greater  interest  in  the  Bible  among 
Christians.?  It  has  been  truthfully  said  that  if  rightly 
taught  or  read  to  a  child  the  Bible  would  prove  the 
most  attractive  of  story  books.  In  my  own  teaching, 
when  the  interest  of  the  class  has  been  raised  to  the 
most  intense  degree,  I  make  it  a  rule  to  open  the 
blessed  book  and  connect  it  with  what  they  are  hearing 
by  reading  a  part  of  the  story.  To  cherish  a  love  for 
God's  book  is  the  most  important  work  a  teacher  has 
to  do,  next  to  the  conversion  of  the  child's  heart. 

Yours,  in  loving  service.  S.  J.  C. 


38       Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

V. 

Attention  and  Discipline. 

Dear  Teacher  Friend  : — I  have  made  a  visit  to  Miss 
T.'s  class,  having  heard  much  of  her  excellent  methods 
of  securing  attention  and  good  order.  Knowing  so 
well  the  great  interest  you  have  in  your  work,  and 
knowing,  too,  your  desire  to  go  on  to  perfection  in  the  art 
of  teaching,  I  want  to  give  you  the  advantage  of  what  I 
saw  and  heard. 

When  Miss  T.  entered  the  room  the  assistant  teach- 
ers and  the  children  were  all  in  their  places.  She  came 
before  them  with  a  bustling,  cordial  manner,  laying  her 
Bible  on  the  little  table.  For  the  moment  every  eye 
was  upon  her,  and  before  those  eyes  had  time  to  wander 
and  carry  the  attention  with  them  she  had  commenced 
the  exercises.  It  seemed  as  if  she  had  swept  the 
"  pansy-bed,"  and  held  them  all  in  a  beautiful  bouquet 
close  to  her  heart.  After  the  "  introductory  exercise," 
the  lesson  was  given  to  the  assistant  teachers.  Each 
little  group  of  teacher  and  class  put  their  heads  so  close 
together  that  you  could  almost  have  put  a  bushel  basket 
over  them. 

I  said  to  myself,  I  do  hope  no  tardy  ones  will  break 
up  those  interested  little  circles.  Just  then  the  door 
opened,  and  in  came  two  little  tots.  Miss  T.  gently 
intercepted  them,  and  gave  them  seats  so  near  me  that 
I  heard  her  ask,  "What  has  made  my  little  friends  late 


Attention  and  Discipline.  39 

this  morning?"  "Breakfast  wasn't  in  time,"  was  sob- 
bed out.  "  Look  over  to  your  class  and  see  how  hard 
they  are  thinking  and  talking  about  the  lesson.  If  you 
go  there  they  will  forget  about  the  lesson  and  talk 
about  you;  will  you  go  there,  or  stay  here.'*"  "Stay 
here."  I  noticed  that  these  children  were  allowed  to 
take  their  places  in  the  class  just  before  the  closing 
exercise,  in  which  Miss  T.  then  assumed  full  charge 
with  a  manner  that  indicated  such  perfect  confidence  in 
the  children's  disposition  to  do  right  that  for  them  to 
have  done  otherewise  would  have  been  like  betraying 
trust.  If  it  had  not  been  a  mission  school  I  should 
have  said  to  myself,  I  wonder  where  the  troublesome 
children  go  to  Sunday-school  1  surely  not  here.  Noth- 
ing was  said  about  order  during  the  whole  session.  Just 
before  beginning  the  closing  exercise  the  children  were 
allowed  to  rise  and  sing  a  song,  accompanied  with  ap- 
propriate motions.  I  thought  it  was  a  happy  way  of 
resting  little  bodies  that  would  otherwise  have  to  move 
and  be  called  disorderly.  I  noticed  that  Miss  T.  made 
the  motions  which  she  wanted  the  children  to  make, 
and  also  that  she  sat  as  a  signal  for  them  to  sit,  and 
stood  when  she  wanted  them  to  stand ;  thus  making 
their  obedience  an  exercise  of  the  favorite  "  instinct  of 
imitation." 

I  was  favorably  impressed  with  the  naturalness  of  her 
voice.  She  always  used  pleasant  conversational  tones, 
and  in  this  regard  differed  from  the  majority  of  primary 
teachers  I  have  heard,  whose  voices  have  either  been 
too  loud,  too  low,  or  had  in  them  a  patronizing  element. 
The  quality  of  the  voice  has  great  influence  in  a  class. 


40       Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

Have  you  not  yourself  felt  this  when  listening  to  differ- 
ent public  speakers  whose  voices  seemed  to  have  the 
power  either  to  soothe  or  irritate  ? 

At  the  close  of  the  school  Miss  T.  apologized  for 
not  speaking  with  me  before,  saying  that  it  was  her 
habit  to  devote  herself  wholly  to  the  class  daring  the 
session.  We  walked  away  from  the  church  together. 
And  now  I  want  to  give  you  a  few  extracts  from  our 
conversation,  for  I  am  sure  I  gained  some  hints  which 
must  be  a  part  of  her  secret  of  success.  I  said,  *'  I  was 
gratified  by  the  order  in  your  class  ;  but  are  you  not 
sometimes  obliged  to  give  reproof,  or  ask  for  quiet  ?  " 
"  I  never  tell  children  to  keep  quiet,"  was  her  reply, 
"  but  I  correct  myself,  rather  than  the  children.  If  my 
class  becomes  restless,  I  am  sure  that  I  have  grown 
tedious,  so  I  either  brighten  my  lesson  or  change  the 
exercise.  Sometimes  there  will  be  a  degree  of  inat- 
tention or  play  in  any  class,  for  which  the  teacher  is 
hardly  responsible.  In  such  cases  I  ask  the  disorder- 
ly ones  questions  on  the  lesson  ;  or,  if  possible,  go  and 
stand  by  them,  making  no  mention  of  the  fault,  how- 
ever, as  that  would  destroy  the  attention  of  the  whole 
class." 

I  remarked  that  I  had  read  in  Our  Own  Fireside  a 
short  article  by  a  medical  writer,  in  which  it  was  stated 
that  "  Infant  schools  would  only  promote  death  if  they 
were  not  conducted  in  a  playful  manner,  with  frequent 
exercises  of  hands,  feet,  and  voices." 

Miss  T.  said  that  Theodore  Parker  had  written  at 
least  one  true  thing  among  his  many  errors.  It  was 
this  :  "  Men  often  speak  of  breaking  the  will  of  a  child, 


Attentio7t  a7id  Disciplifte.  4 1 

but  it  seemed  to  me  they  had  better  break  the  neck. 
The  will  needs  regulating,  not  destroying.  The  in- 
struction of  children  should  be  such  as  to  animate,  in- 
spire, strain,  but  not  to  hew,  cut,  and  carve  ;  for  I  would 
always  treat  a  child  as  a  live  tree,  which  was  to  be 
helped  to  grow ;  never  as  dry,  dead  timber,  to  be  carved 
into  this  or  that  shape,  and  to  have  certain  moldings 
grooved  upon  it.  A  live  tree,  and  not  dead  timber,  is 
every  little  child." 

"  If  you  should  not  succeed  in  checking  the  disorder 
by  diversion,  what  would  you  do.'*"  I  asked.  "Quietly 
dispose  of  the  offender  by  seating  him  alone,  continuing 
all  the  time  to  talk  about  the  lesson."  "  Some  teachers, 
you  know,  have  difficulty  not  only  in  keeping,  but  also  in 
securing  attention."  Miss  T.  replied,  "  Children  should 
not  be  required  to  pay  strict  attention  until  there  is 
something  to  receive  for  it.  To  request  attention  before 
the  exercises  or  lesson  begins  reminds  me  of  the  indi- 
vidual who  had  agreed  to  teach  a  class  of  boys  and  girls 
to  whistle.  He  began  by  saying,  '  Prepare  to  whistle.' 
The  smiling  which  followed  rendered  whistling  impos- 
sible. I  am  persuaded  that  the  quickest,  surest,  and 
pleasantest  way  to  gain  the  attention  is  not  to  ask  for 
it,  but  to  win  it.  I  cannot  say  that  I  have  ever  had  the 
perfect  attention  of  a  class  from  the  beginning  to  the 
end  of  a  lesson,  but  I  have  been  able  to  prevent  habit- 
ual inattention  on  the  part  of  any  children  by  asking 
several  in  succession  to  give  answers  to  the  same  ques- 
tion, and  by  having  their  replies  repeated  by  the  whole 
class  simultaneously,  or  by  any  one  who  seemed  dis- 
posed to  be  inattentive.     In  all  this,  then,  there  is  for 


42      Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

you  and  me  this  thought :  Win  attention,  and  order 
rather  than  demand  it." 

I  was  here  reminded  of  what  Dr.  Gregory  has  said 
about  securing  attention.  He  says  in  substance,  atten- 
tion is  of  two  sorts — compelled  and  attracted.  The 
former  is  only  momentary,  because  it  is  mechanical, 
and  therefore  purely  external.  The  latter  scarcely 
knows  any  fatigue,  because  it  is  vital :  hunger,  seeking 
food ;  excited  interest,  seeking  gratification.  "  Yes," 
Miss  T.  replied,  "  but  we  must  not  forget  that  '  fixed 
attention  is  physically  impossible  in  a  child  for  any 
lengthened  period.'  " 

I  was  then  led  to  say  that  I  thought  teachers  were 
too  apt  to  consider  only  the  children's  relation  to  atten- 
tion. We  would  not  think  any  one  who  did  not  know 
how  to  read  himself  capable  of  teaching  others  to  read. 
Neither  is  any  one  who  cannot  control  his  own  atten- 
tion capable  of  fixing  the  attention  of  others.  A  dis- 
ciplined mind  is  essential  to  the  disciplining  of  other 
minds.  Children  feel  the  reserve  power.  They  are 
true  psychologists,  invariably  seeking  out  the  inner 
man,  and  acknowledging  the  power  they  feel  by  allow- 
ing themselves  to  be  swayed  by  a  superior  intelligence. 
We  must,  then,  try  to  perfect  ourselves  before  we  look 
for  perfect  results  in  others. 

Now  I  am  going  to  close  this  letter  by  giving  you  a 
few  extracts  from  Pestalozzi,  "  the  father  of  popular 
education  :  " — 

"  When  I  recommend  to  a  mother  to  avoid  wearying 
a  child  by  her  instructions,  I  do  not  wish  to  encourage 
the  notion  that  instruction  should  always  take  the  char- 


Attention  and  Discipline.  43 

acter  of  amusement,  or  even  of  a  play.  A  child  must, 
very  early  in  life,  be  taught  that  exertion  is  indispensa- 
ble for  the  attainment  of  knowledge.  But  a  child  should 
not  be  taught  to  look  upon  exertion  as  an  evil. 

"  I  would  suggest  that  the  best  means  to  prevent  this 
is  to  adopt  a  mode  of  instruction  by  which  the  children 
are  less  left  to  themselves — less  thrown  upon  the  unwel- 
come employment  of  passive  listening — less  harshly 
treated  for  little  and  excusable  failings,  but  more  roused 
by  questions,  animated  by  illustrations,  interested  and 
won  by  kindness. 

"  Interest  in  study  is  the  first  thing  which  a  teacher, 
a  mother,  should  endeavor  to  excite  and  keep  alive. 
There  are  scarcely  any  circumstances  in  which  a  want 
of  application  in  children  does  not  proceed  from  a  want 
of  interest.  There  are,  perhaps,  none  in  which  a  want 
of  interest  does  not  originate  in  the  mode  of  teaching 
adopted  by  the  teacher.  If  he  is  not,  with  his  whole 
mind,  present  at  the  subject  —  if  he  does  not  care 
whether  it  is  understood  or  not,  whether  his  manner  is 
liked  or  not — he  will  never  fail  of  alienating  the  affec- 
tions of  his  pupils,  and  rendering  them  indifferent  to 
what  he  says.  But  real  interest  taken  in  the  task  of  in- 
struction— kind  words,  and  kinder  feelings,  the  expres- 
sion of  the  features,  and  the  glance  of  the  eye — are 
never  lost  upon  children." 

Yours,  in  loving  service,  S.  J.  C. 


44        Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 


VI. 

The  Art  of  Questioning. 

Dear  Teacher  Friend  : — The  world  owes  about  all 
it  has  of  good  to  people  who  have  asked  questions. 
The  law  of  gravitation  is  the  answer  to  Newton's  ques- 
tion about  the  falling  apple  ;  the  watch  and  clock  are 
the  answer  to  Galileo's  question  about  the  swinging  of 
the  suspended  lamp  ;  the  railway  is  the  answer  to  Watt's 
question  about  the  steam  of  the  tea-kettle,  and  the  tele- 
graph and  the  cable  are  the  answer  to  Franklin's  ques- 
tion about  the  lightning.  What  a  wise  world  this  would 
be  if  all  the  people  were  in  the  habit  of  asking  ques- 
tions !  Let  us  congratulate  ourselves  that,  as  teachers, 
we  can  exert  an  influence  to  bring  about  that  state  of 
things.  As  Sunday-school  teachers  we  are  in  a  position 
to  do  more  than  to  arouse  minds  to  discoveries  con- 
nected with  temporal  welfare  ;  yes,  even  to  lead  souls 
to  search  out  the  mystery  of  godliness,  for  Christ  has 
said,  **  Ask,  and  ye  shall  receive."  To  accomplish  these 
desires,  our  first  effort  should  be  to  stir  the  children  to 
self-activity. 

Make  thought  the  coin  which  a  child  must  pay  for 
the  lesson  which  he  receives. 

Dr.  Vincent  has  said,  "  It  is  the  business  of  the  teacher 
to  set  the  mind  of  his  pupil  to  thinking  : — 

"  I.  Thinking — to  feel  its  need  of  truth. 

"  2.  Thinking — to  explore  old  truth. 


The  Art  of  Questioning.  45 

"  3.  Thinking — to  get  new  truth. 

"  4.  Thinking — to  grow  by  truth. 

"  5.  Thinking — to  make  a  wise  use  of  all  truth." 

The  teacher,  then,  in  order  to  fulfill  the  conditions  of 
his  business,  should  train  the  children  to  observe,  to  re- 
call what  they  have  been  taught,  and  to  draw  from  the 
resources  of  their  present  knowledge.  This  self-activity, 
this  thinking,  this  observation,  can  best  be  aroused  by 
the  question  method  of  teaching,  called  the  Socratic 
method  after  one  of  its  earliest  and  most  illustrious  prac- 
titioners. 

"  Socrates  was  constantly  intent  on  making  his  pupils 
independent  and  self-reliant.  He  did  not  value  results 
of  instruction  that  were  merely  handed  over,  already 
complete,  by  the  teacher  to  the  pupil.  He  desired  to 
associate  his  pupil  with  himself  as  his  productive  part- 
ner and  helper  in  the  search  for  truth.  No  mind  could 
come  into  contact  with  him  and  not  be  roused  to  ac- 
tivity. It  was  lively  work  to  answer  his  questions.  It 
took  thinking.  And  thinking  was  the  chief  intellectual 
result  at  which  Socrates  aimed.  There  was  no  hum- 
drum monotony  in  his  method.  He  was  full  of  am- 
bushes and  surprises.  His  pupils  had  to  be  perpetually 
on  the  alert  or  they  would  be  caught  in  some  absurd 
self-contradiction.  He  never  approached  them  twice  in 
the  same  way.  Now,  perhaps,  he  would  ask  them  to  de- 
fine for  him  some  term  in  ordinary  use.  Taking  up  their 
reply,  he  would  then,  in  a  series  of  apparently  remote 
questions,  bring  them  back,  after  long  circuits,  to  the 
starting-point,  to  find  that  they  had  quite  abandoned 
their  own  definition.     Again,  he  would  begin  by  stating 


46       Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

some  startling  paradox,  which  his  pupils  would  at  first, 
on  being  questioned,  dispute.  By  a  course  of  subsequent 
interrogation  he  would  bring  them  to  a  point  at  which 
they  were  obliged  to  confess  that  they  had  unconsciously 
admitted  it  to  be  true.  Yet,  again,  he  would  set  out 
with  letting  his  pupils  acknowledge  as  true  some  com- 
monplace principle,  and  then  fetch  them  a  long  way 
around  to  discover  that,  according  to  their  own  answers, 
it  must  be  false.  He  never  talked  long  without  inter- 
rupting himself  to  make  sure  of  the  attention  and  inter- 
est of  his  pupils  by  asking  them  some  question.  His 
teaching  was  talking — talking,  back  and  forth — conver- 
sation." * 

It  is  noticeably  true  that  the  most  renowned  teachers 
are  also  renowned  questioners.  It  has  been  wisely 
said,  "  No  one  teaches  well  who  does  not  question 
well." 

To  any  in  the  habit  of  teaching  without  responses 
from  pupils,  the  use  of  the  deaf  mute  language  might  be 
suggested,  because  its  appeal  to  the  eye  has  more  power 
than  the  sound  of  the  voice  to  control  the  attention. 
The  ideas  which  a  mind  gains  by  effort  are  not  only  un- 
derstood, but  indelibly  stamped  upon  it.  It  is  only  the 
digested  food  which  contributes  to  the  growth  and 
strength  of  the  body.  Any  excess  is  positively  a  source 
of  weakness  and  disease.  Likewise  it  is  only  the  truth 
received  that  is  inwrought,  and  so  becomes  subjective, 
that  develops  and  strengthens  the  mind. 

Try  to  fill  a  glass  with  water  by  dashing  the  contents 
of  a  pitcher  into  it.  It  cannot  thus  be  filled  ;  but  gently 
*  Wm.  C.  Wilkinson,  D.D,,  in  "  The  Normal  Class." 


The  Art  of  Questionhig.  47 

and  slowly  pour  from  the  pitcher  and  soon  the  glass 
will  be  filled  to  overflowing,  and  not  a  drop  will  be  lost. 
The  same  principle  will  apply  in  our  teaching,  and  will 
lead  us  to  question  the  lesson  into  the  children  rather 
than  tell  them  all  about  it. 

Curiosity  is  the  most  favorable  state  of  mind  for  re- 
ceiving ideas.  With  young  children  it  is  the  appetite 
which  prepares  the  mind  to  relish  its  food.  Make  pupils 
curious  to  know  is  the  first  rule  I  would  urge  upon  inex- 
perienced teachers.  Tell  them  nothing  they  are  ?iot 
curious  to   knoiu  is  a  second  rule  of  like  importance. 

The  teacher  may  learn  a  lesson  from  the  process  of 
making  rock  candy.  When  the  melted  sugar  is  ready 
to  crystallize  threads  are  placed  in  it,  so  that  the  crys- 
tals may  be  formed  around  them.  Let  a  teacher  make 
a  child's  curiosity  the  thread  which  shall  gather  about  it 
the  crystals  of  truth. 

The  Bible  expresses  the  value  of  questioning  in  the 
words,  "  That  thou  mightest  know  the  certainty  of  those 
things  wherein  thou  hast  been  instructed,"  (catechised.) 

Questions  are  not  only  a  help  to  the  children,  but  they 
are  the  teacher's  most  faithful  assistants.  They  show 
how  much  the  children  know ;  how  much  the  children 
are  able  to  do;  how  much  the  teacher  has  accomplished 
in  each  lesson.  If  you  knew  of  any  person  who  could 
accurately  tell  you  these  three  things,  what  effort  would 
you  not  be  willing  to  make  to  avail  yourself  of  his  assist- 
ance }  The  art  of  questioning  is  a  yet  more  valuable 
assistant  than  that  person  would  be  to  you,  because  it 
will  clothe  you  with  just  the  power  you  seek  in  another. 
A  teacher  who  does  not  become  cognizant  of  these  things, 


48      Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

and  therefore  teaches  the  lesson  without  any  thought  of 
its  adaptability,  might  be  likened  to  that  dealer  in  ready- 
made  clothing  who  was  asked  to  furnish  a  coat  for  a  boy 
twelve  years  old.  But  when  the  coat  was  brought  from 
the  pile  which  usually  supplied  twelve-year-old  boys  it 
hung  in  awkward  folds  on  the  little  fellow,  who  was  not 
up  to  the  average  size.  The  dealer  insisted  to  the 
parents  that  it  was  right.  "  Dere  ish  no  trouble.  De 
coat  ish  all  right.  De  coat  ish  de  broper  size  ;  but  de 
poy,  ah  !   the  poy  ish  too  shmall." 

The  aim  of  questioning  is,  in  brief, 

*'  I.  To  measure  the  pupils'  knowledge  and  power, 
"  I.  For  the  teacher's  information  ; 
"  2.  For  the  pupils'  information. 

"  II.  To  stimulate  the  pupils'  desire  for  knowledge 
and  their  purpose  to  secure  it. 

*'  III.  To  assist  the  pupils  in  such  purpose  and  effort, 
'•  I.  By  questions  put  to  them  ; 
*'  2.  By  questions  elicited  from  them. 

"  IV.  To  prove  the  teacher's  work."* 

According  to  the  purposes  enumerated,  questions  may 
be  divided  into  three  classes  :  examining,  developing, 
and  reviewing. 

I  feel  that  you  are  telegraphing  this  question  to  me  : 
Where  in  the  lesson  must  these  different  kinds  of  questions 
be  used  ?  I  cannot  give  you  an  invariable  rule,  except 
it  be,  sli/dy  to  7nake  the  greatest  possible  variety.  If  a  les- 
son is  one  of  a  series,  reviewing  questions  would  natu- 
rally be  the  first,  in  order  to  muster  the  stock  of  knowl- 
edge about  the  old  lesson  for  a  better  understanding  of 
*  Dr.  Vincent. 


The  Art  of  Questioning.  49 

the  new  lesson.  But  this  should  not  always  be  so.  Some- 
times, but  seldom,  it  might  be  well  to  ask  an  examining 
question  first,  to  find  out  how  much  the  children  know 
about  the  lesson  before  teaching  it  to  them. 

Usually  a  better  way  is  to  follow  the  rule  of  the  follow- 
ing aphorism  :  "  Show  the  child  a  certain  quality  in  one 
thing  and  let  him  find  out  the  same  in  others."  This 
would  be  done  by  developing  questions.  See  specimen 
lesson  on  "  The  Mind  of  Christ." 

Developing  questions  "  stimulate  the  pupil's  desire 
for  knowledge  and  his  purpose  to  secure  it;"  also, 
"assisting  him  in  such  purpose  and  effort."  Examining 
questions  "  measure  the  pupil's  knowledge  and  power." 
Reviewing  questions  "  prove  the  teacher's  work."  It 
should  be  your  study  to  know  how  you  can  best  adapt 
these  means  to  an  end.  In  teaching  a  primary  class  les- 
son, developing  questions  should  generally  be  used.  I 
cannot  agree  with  that  writer  on  the  subject  of  question- 
ing who  says,  "  Except  in  the  case  of  infant  or  feeble 
children,  questions  should  never  suggest  answers."  I 
think  questions  to  children  should  never  suggest  answers 
in  any  other  way  than  that  included  in  the  Socratic 
method,  by  which  the  answer  to  the  first  question  sug- 
gests the  second,  in  this  way  supplying  a  series  of  steps. 
Questions  which  do  not  suggest  the  answer  in  any  other 
way  than  this  help  young  minds  to  grasp  ideas.  It  is 
really  wonderful  to  what  points  of  understanding  even 
"  infants"  may  be  brought  by  a  gradual  series  of  devel- 
oping questions. 

One  delightful  use  I  have  made  of  examining  ques- 
tions  has   been   to  bring  out   the  children's  differences 


50      Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

of  opinions,  asking,  What  do  you  think  ?  Why  do 
you  think  so  ?  [See  specimen  lesson  on  "  Jesus,  the 
King."] 

Reviewing  questions  should  be  asked  not  only  for  the 
purposes  of  recalling  previous  lessons  or  of  closing  each 
lesson,  but  also  to  test  every  point  in  the  lesson  during 
its  progress,  in  order  to  make  the  work  thorough. 
Never  tell  a  fact,  or  develop  a  thought,  without  asking 
for  it  again. 

Dr.  D.  once  said  in  a  sermon,  "  I  make  it  a  point 
to  repeat  to  a  friend  any  fact  which  I  wish  to  remember 
within  three  weeks  after  reading  or  hearing  it.  I  am 
thus  disseminating  knowledge  while  benefiting  my  own 
memory." 

The  effort  which  a  child  must  make  to  respond  to  re- 
viewing questions  will  benefit  not  only  himself,  but 
every  little  classmate  as  well.  His  ability  to  tell  what 
he  has  been  learning  makes  sure  that  he  knows  those 
things  wherein  he  has  been  instructed. 

Notwithstanding  the  interrogative  method  is  so  stir- 
ring in  itself,  I  have  seen  a  lesson  on  this  plan  fall  dead 
upon  listless  pupils.  The  reason  why  this  was  so  was 
because  the  questions  were  not  judiciously  framed  or 
properly  uttered. 

What  are  injudicious  questions  } 

I.  Questions  beyond  the  pupil's  ability  to  answer, 
either  in  the  light  of  his  present  knowledge,  observation, 
or  reasoning  power.  Thus  there  is  a  tendency  to  check 
thought  rather  than  to  create  it,  to  discourage  rather 
than  to  help. 

Such  a  question  was  that  of  a  clergyman,  who  asked 


The  Art  of  Questioning.  5 1 

a  class  of  young  children,  '*Can  you  tell  me  whether,  in 
the  work  of  regeneration,  the  Holy  Spirit  operates  casual- 
ly or  instrumentally  ?  " 

2.  Those  which  are  indefinite  or  vague.  They  develop 
confusion  on  the  part  of  the  children,  and  perplexity  on 
the  part  of  the  teacher.  Questions  are  of  this  character 
when  the  teacher  has  not  a  clear  idea  of  what  she  wants 
to  teach,  or  when  the  questions  are  so  long  that  the 
idea  is  lost  in  the  labyrinth  of  words.  The  followiog 
questions,  selected  from  A  Question  Book  for  Younger 
Classes,  are  of  this  sort :  "  What  does  the  reason  God 
gave  for  diminishing  the  army  of  the  Israelites  tell  us 
about  the  character  of  God's  people.?"  "Did  God 
select  those  who  lapped  the  water  because  they  drank 
in  this  way,  or  did  they  drink  thus  because  God  had  se- 
lected them  .^  "  Questions  should  be  as  short  and  con- 
cise as  possible. 

3.  The  third  kind  of  injudicious  questions  includes 
those  which  contain  much  of  the  answer.  The  children 
reply  to  these  by  guessing  rather  than  by  thinking ;  for 
example,  "  Esau  used  to  hunt ;  what  was  he  }  A  hunt- 
er. Jacob  used  to  take  care  of  sheep ;  w^hat  may  we 
call  him.'*     A  s keeper." 

Shakspeare  gives  us  a  striking  example  of  this  sort 
of  questions  in  the  conversation  between  Hamlet  and 
Polonius : — 

*'  Matn.  Do  you  see  yonder  cloud  that's  almost  in 
shape  of  a  camel .'' 

"  Fol.  By  the  mass,  and  'tis  like  a  camel  indeed. 

^^  Ham.  Methinks  it  is  like  a  weasel. 

"  Pol.  It  is  backed  like  a  weasel. 


52      Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

*'  Ham.  Or,  like  a  whale  ? 

"  Pol.  Very  like  a  whale." 

The  intonation  of  the  teacher's  voice  frequently  shows 
whether  the  expected  answer  is  "yes"  or  "no,"  and 
the  children,  without  thought,  answer  as  they  think  they 
are  expected  to.  A  gentleman  was  visiting  at  a  friend's 
house  where  there  was  a  little  boy  three  years  old.  The 
father  was  accustomed  to  ask  Harry,  in  a  tone  of  pecul- 
iar affection,  "  Are  you  papa's  nice  little  boy  }  "  The 
visitor  said,  "  He  doesn't  really  think  about  what  you 
are  asking  when  he  answers  *  yes,'  and  I'll  prove  it 
to  you."  So  he  asked  the  child,  in  the  same  tone  the 
father  had  used,  "  Are  you  papa's  bad  little  boy .?  " 
"  Yes,"  replied  the  child.  Then  he  asked,  rather  gruffly, 
"  Are  you  papa's  good  little  boy }  "     "  No." 

The  teacher's  tones  may  check  thought  in  yet  an- 
other way,  that  is,  by  having  in  them  a  sort  of  mathe- 
matical precision,  or  a  certain  kind  of  dispatch,  such  as 
one  would  show  in  throwing  missiles.  Fear  is  thus 
caused  to  take  possession  of  the  children. 

What  now  may  be  considered  judicious  questions  t 

I.  Those  about  things  which  pupils  can  see  or  hear. 
(Opportunity  may  be  given  for  observation  by  means  of 
object  illustrations.)  2.  Those  which  are  so  systematic- 
ally arranged  that  each  question  is  naturally  developed 
from  the  preceding  answer.  3.  Those  which  are  so 
simple  and  direct  that  only  one  answer  can  be  given. 
Still  other  varieties  of  judicious  questions  might  be 
developed  from  the  following  rule  of  Dr.  Vincent : 
"  Tax  the  memory,  judgment,  invention,  and  conscience 
of  the  pupils  in  your  questions." 


The  Art  of  Questioning.  53 

The  whole  aim  of  questioning  is  comprehensively 
summed  up  in  the  following  extract  from  an  English 
Sunday-school  paper : — 

"  Would  you  arrest  and  sustain  attention  —  ques- 
tion. 

"  Would  you  discover  what  scholars  already  know — 
question. 

"  Would  you  provide  teaching  adapted  to  the  wants 
of  the  scholars — question. 

"  Would  you  have  hearty  co-operation  between  teacher 
and  scholar — question. 

"Would  you  fix  truth  in  the  mind — question. 

"  Would  you  continuously  refresh  the  memory — 
question. 

"  Would  you  pointedly  and  powerfully  deal  with  the 
conscience — question. 

"  Would  you  clearly  and  successfully  direct  the  anx- 
ious— question. 

"  Would  you  ascertain  the  actual  results  of  your 
teaching — question. 

"  Before  you  begin  the  lesson — question. 

"  As  you  proceed  with  the  lesson — question. 

"At  the  close  of  the  lesson — question." 

The  success  of  a  lesson  taught  according  to  the  ques- 
tion method  depends  greatly  upon  the  bearing  of  the 
teacher.  It  is  not  enough  that  a  teacher  should  have  in 
mind  a  well-arranged  outline,  but  she  must  possess  the 
tact  to  carry^  it  out  so  that  it  appears  like  a  free  conver- 
sation. All  of  the  children  must  be  interested  and  en- 
gaged, for  that  is  a  propriety  which  should  enter  into 
all    conversations.      There  will   be   a   tendency   which 


54      Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

must  continually  be  guarded  against  to  conduct  the 
lesson  with  the  ftw  children  who  are  most  ready  to  talk. 
Simultaneous  replies  should  not  be  given  by  the  class 
until  a  few  individual  answers  have  been  made,  for  there 
may  be  a  great  show  of  knowledge  where,  for  the  most 
part,  there  is  emptiness.  I  should  not  advise  you  to  ask 
questions  in  regular  order  around  the  class,  for  I  too 
well  remember  the  sense  of  relief  from  responsibility  that 
I  used  to  feel  when  "  my  turn  "  had  passed. 

The  best  plan  of  asking  questions  is  to  address  them 
to  the  whole  class,  without  any  intimation  as  to  who  will 
be  called  upon  to  answer.  Request  all  who  can  answer 
to  hold  up  their  hands,  and  then  let  one  or  more  per- 
sons be  selected  to  reply.  Afterward  request  simulta- 
neous repetition  of  one  or  more  of  the  answers  given. 

The  teacher  should  work  out  her  plan  with  sympathy. 
If  the  children  give  wrong  answers  it  may  be  possible 
to  work  them  into  the  lesson  plan,  or,  at  least,  a  kind 
''  no  "  can  be  spoken.  A  heartless  "  no  !  "  is  sometimes 
worse  than  smiting  a  child. 

A  successful  use  of  the  question  method  depends, 
too,  upon  the  efforts  of  the  pupils.  On  their  part  there 
should  be  a  disposition  to  try ;  prompt,  definite,  and 
distinct  answers,  and  a  willingness  to  wait  until  called 
upon. 

It  requires  peculiar  skill  on  the  part  of  the  teacher  to 
question  well.  It  comes  more  naturally  to  some  than  to 
others,  but  it  may  be  acquired,  in  a  greater  or  less  de- 
gree, by  all.  Having  taken  upon  ourselves  the  respon- 
sibilities of  teachers,  it  is  a  solemn  duty  to  so  develop 
ourselves   that    strength   shall   be   cast    over   weakness. 


TJie  Art  of  Questioning.  55 

Thus  a  deficiency  may  cease  to  be  a  blemish  in  becom- 
ing a  bud  of  growth. 

I  would  recommend  to  you,  if  you  desire  to  become  a 
skillful  questioner,  some  good  work  on  mental  philoso- 
phy. I  can  assure  you  that  you  will  find  no  more  read- 
able book  on  any  subject  than  The  Human  Intellect^  by 
Prof.  Porter,  of  Yale  College.  Let  any  one  carefully 
read  the  chapters  on  "  Consciousness,"  "  Sense-Per- 
ception," and  on  "  Representation  and  Representative 
Knowledge,"  "Intuition  and  Intuitive  Knowledge,"  and 
he  cannot  fail  to  appreciate  how  utterly  at  variance  with 
the  laws  of  mental  development  are  methods  almost 
universally  adopted. 

Socrates  should  be  studied  by  the  teacher,  not  for 
what  he  taught,  but  to  see  how  he  taught.  But  you 
need  not  seek  far-away  helps.  You  will  find  it  a  great 
assistance  in  the  first  days  of  your  trial  of  the  question 
method  to  confine  yourself  to  questions  beginning  with 
^F— Who.?  What.?  Why.?  When.?  By  whom.?  To 
what .?  For  w^hat .?  After  a  little  time  you  will  not 
need  to  be  so  circumscribed. 

After  all  your  best  guide  will  be  practice,  both  in  the 
class  room  and  with  little  friends  you  may  meet.  Take 
a  fact  which  you  may  wish  to  tell  a  child;  write  out  a 
series  of  questions  by  which  you  could  develop  the 
thought  in  a  child's  mind,  and  then  ask  some  little 
friend,  or  even  a  friend  of  larger  growth,  to  be  your 
pupil  until  you  can  "try  on  "  your  plan. 

Let  your' aim  be  to  "make  children  skillful  finders  of 
truth  rather  than  patient  receivers  of  it." 

Yours  in  loving  service,  S.  J.  C. 


56       Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 


VII. 

The  Art  of  Memorizing. 

Dear  Teacher  Friend  : — Have  you  not  noticed  that 
a  reform  sometimes  carries  public  opinion  as  far  in 
excess  of  the  right  as  it  was  lacking  before,  and  that  a 
rebound  is  necessary  to  establish  a  healthy  condition  ? 
The  awarding  of  prizes  for  the  greatest  number  of 
Scripture  verses  committed  to  memory  was  a  reform 
instituted  to  correct  the  total  lack  of  a  study  of  God's 
word.  And  now  we  are  having  the  rebound  in  the  de- 
mand that  what  is  memorized  must  first  be  understood. 
The  result  will  be  intelligent  study  of  the  word  The 
memorizing  of  Scripture  is  good,  even  more,  it  is  in- 
dispensable, for  three  reasons  :  i.  That  hearts  may  have 
a  help  within  for  the  hours  of  temptation,  affliction,  and 
prosperity.  2.  That  habits  of  thinking  God's  thoughts 
and  speaking  in  words  of  godliness  may  be  cultivated. 
3.  That  Christ's  followers  may  be  able  to  meet  contro- 
versy in  God's  own  words,  and  may  have  for  ready  use 
that  weapon  which  is  sharper  than  any  two-edged 
sword.  A  moment's  thought  will  prove  to  you  that 
without  an  understanding  of  it,  no  amount  of  Scripture 
would  meet  the  needs  just  enumerated.  One  who  pos- 
sesses simply  a  word-knowledge  of  the  Scripture  might 
be  likened  to  a  man  who  purchased  a  field  in  which  lay 
an  inexhaustible  mine  of  gold,  but  without  knowing  of 
it,  lived  on  year  after  year  meeting  his  necessities  by 


The  Art  of  Memorizing.  57 

hardest  effort.  To  know  the  words  of  the  Bible  with- 
out grasping  the  spirit  of  truth  under  them  is  to  live  on 
the  surface,  where  neither  love,  joy,  nor  peace  can  be 
drawn  from  God's  great  treasury.  If  it  were  necessary, 
which  it  is  not,  that  we  should  choose  between  teach- 
ing our  pupils  simply  the  words  of  the  Bible  or  incul- 
cating its  truths,  I  would  choose  to  do  the  latter ;  for  I 
know  that  such  a  course  would  inspire  a  desire  in  the 
minds  of  the  children  to  read  and  study  for  themselves, 
would  give  them  strength  to  bear  the  trials  of  life,  and 
would  help  them  early  to  grow  Christ-like.  If  an  empty 
bucket  is  let  down  into  a  well  and  drawn  up  hastily,  it 
will  be  returned  as  empty  as  it  was  sent;  but  if  the 
bucket  is  allowed  to  sink  below  the  surface  of  the 
water,  it  will  be  running  over  when  drawn  up.  And  so 
if  words  are  allowed  to  sink  into  the  depth  of  conscious- 
ness and  feeling,  they  will  be  filled  with  the  water  of 
life  for  human  hearts. 

Perhaps  you  are  thinking  of  the  same  question  that 
was  asked  at  our  teachers'  meeting :  Is  it  not  proper  to 
require  the  Scripture  to  be  memorized  and  then  have  it 
explained  ?  A  reply  was  given  in  the  form  of  three 
questions,  namely  :  Did  man  in  the  beginning  inherit  a 
language,  or  has  the  language  grown  out  of  his  neces- 
sity .^  Then  is  not  the  natural  order,  ideas  first,  lan- 
guage second.'*  Should  our  teaching  be  based  upon 
natural  or  artificial  methods  .?  Language  has  grown  out 
of  necessity,  each  new  invention  or  experience  bring- 
ing a  new  word  into  our  vocabulary.  Language  is,  there- 
fore— relative — the  expression  of  the  impression^  and  should 
be  second  to  ideas  in  order  of  development. 


58       Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

I  think  it  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  all  passages  of 
Scripture  should  be  understood  before  they  are  memo- 
rized. A  child  who  had  been  taught  to  think  about  what 
she  was  learning  was  one  day  asked  to  repeat  the  Golden 
Rule.  She  hesitated,  but  evidently  the  idea  was  strug- 
gling for  expression  ;  finally  it  burst  forth  in  this  wise  : 
"  What  you  don't  want  other  little  girls  to  do  to  you, 
don't  you  do  to  them."  Better  for  a  child  to  have  such 
a  clear  idea  of  the  Golden  Rule  than  to  be  able  to  repeat 
it  perfectly  without  understanding  it.  Of  course  both 
can  and  should  be  done. 

It  is  useless  to  urge,  as  some  do,  that  because  all 
Scripture  is  given  by  inspiration  of  God  there  is  no  need 
of  explaining  it.  The  inspiration  of  the  writers  of  the 
Bible  does  not  imply  that  its  readers  are  also  inspired. 
It  is  also  urged  by  some  against  explaining  the  Scriptures 
before  memorizing,  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  the  one  great 
Teacher  of  the  word  of  God.  In  John  xvi,  13,  we  read, 
"  When  he,  the  Spirit  of  truth,  is  come,  he  will  guide  you 
into  all  truth."  Christ  taught  his  disciples  things  which 
they  did  not  and  could  not  understand  until  after  his 
resurrection  and  the  coming  of  the  Spirit.  But  no  other 
teacher  should  plead  Christ's  example  in  this  respect, 
as  the  necessity  for  such  a  course  no  longer  exists.  As 
well  expect  miraculous  manifestations  of  healing  to  the 
degree  of  apostolic  days,  as  to  expect  the  same  miracu- 
lous manifestations  of  teaching.  In  these  days.  Chris- 
tian teachers  (and  no  other  kind  should  be  appointed) 
must  lead  other  hearts  to  see  the  beauty  of  the  Lord 
and  of  his  word.  Have  not  passages  which  seemed  dull 
and  obscure  to  you  been   greatly  illuminated  by  the  ex- 


The  Art  of  Memorizing.  59 

planations  of  some  friend  or  speaker  ?  I  once  listened 
to  some  remarks  by  Miss  Sarah  Smiley  upon  the  text, 
"  All  Scripture  is  given  by  inspiration  of  God,  and  is 
profitable  for  doctrine,  for  reproof,  for  correction,  for 
instruction  in  righteousness."  She  said  she  determined 
to  read  the  Bible  with  that  passage  as  a  key.  When 
she  came  to  the  first  genealogical  list  it  took  her  some 
time  to  discover  how  those  almost  unpronounceable 
names  could  be  in  any  way  "  profitable  "  to  her.  At  last 
the  thought  dawned  upon  her  that  although  the  records 
of  those  persons  were  unknown  to  men,  God  remem- 
bered all  their  service.  Then  she  said,  "  When  I  have 
passed  away  and  am  forgotten — even  the  sound  of  my 
name — God  will  remember  me."  What  if  Miss  Smiley 
had  been  given  in  childhood  the  task  of  memorizing 
those  same  names }  Do  you  think  the  Spirit  would 
then  have  taught  her  the  sweet  lesson  which  was  after- 
ward the  reward  of  prayerful  study  .?  Ruskin  speaks 
with  enthusiasm  of  his  mother's  faithfulness  in  this  mat- 
ter of  Bible  reading :  "  As  soon  as  I  was  able  to  read 
with  fluency,  my  mother  began  a  course  of  Bible  work 
with  me  which  never  ceased  until  I  went  to  Oxford. 
She  read  alternate  verses  with  me,  watching,  at  first, 
every  intonation  of  my  voice,  and  correcting  the  false 
ones,  till  she  made  me  understand  the  verse,  if  within 
my  reach,  rightly  and  energetically.  It  might  be  beyond 
me  altogether.  That  she  did  not  care  about ;  but  she 
made  sure  that  as  soon  as  I  got  hold  of  it  at  all,  I  should 
get  hold  of  it  by  the  right  end.  In  this  way  she  began 
with  the  first  verse  of  Genesis,  and  went  straight  through 
to  the  last  verse  of  the  Apocalypse." 


6o       Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

Ruskin  also  says  :  "  It  is  unfortunate,  but  very  certain, 
that  in  order  to  attend  to  what  is  said,  we  must  go 
through  the  irksomeness  of  learning  the  meaning  of  the 
words.  And  the  first  thing  that  children  should  be 
taught  about  their  Bibles  is  to  distinguish  clearly  be- 
tween words  that  they  understand  and  words  that  they 
do  not,  and  never  to  think  they  are  reading  the  Bible 
when  they  are  merely  repeating  phrases  of  an  unknown 
tongue."  It  is,  perhaps,  true  that  "some  persons  have 
come  to  a  knowledge  of  the  truth  without  any  creature 
helps."  "  Man's  extremity  is  God's  opportunity." 
Whatever  is  necessary  for  a  Christian  that  his  own  ef- 
forts cannot  secure,  God  provides  for  him  ;  but  what 
man  can  do  for  himself,  God  will  not  do  for  him.  The 
Bible  is  not  like  that  magic  ax  which,  without  hand  to 
guide  it,  cut  its  way  through  dense  forests.  Neither  is 
it  any  argument  against  the  explanation  of  Scripture 
before  memorizing  to  quote  Luther's  example  when  he 
claimed  the  privilege  of  reading  the  word  of  God 
"  without  priestly  comment."  Luther  renounced  priestly 
comment  only  to  substitute  his  own  thorough  study  and 
explanation  of  the  truth.  It  is  hardly  just  to  assume 
that  all  teachers  are  false  teachers,  and  will  pervert  the 
truth.  If  it  perpetuates  errors  to  explain  Scripture, 
then  our  whole  system  of  Sunday-school  instruction,  and 
preaching  too,  for  that  matter,  is  wrong ;  and  the  only 
right  way  would  be  to  place  a  copy  of  the  Bible  in  the 
hands  of  pupils,  and  let  them  spend  the  hour  usually 
devoted  to  the  study  of  the  lesson  in  private  and  indi- 
vidual reading,  "without  explanation  or  comment." 

Dr.  Hall  says :  "  Let  the  Bible  speak  for  itself,  and  it 


TJlc  Art  of  Alemorizing.  6 1 

will  make  itself  interesting.  Exhibit  the  naked  sword 
of  God's  truth,  and  it  will  cut  its  own  way  into  the 
heart  and  conscience.  But  be  careful,  and  see  that  in 
using  the  sword  you  take  hold  of  the  handle.  Many 
persons  seize  it  wrong  end  first,  and  succeed  in  doing 
double  execution  ;  they  stun  their  hearers,  and  cut 
themselves." 

We  want  to  give  our  pupils  the  sword  of  the  Spirit 
by  the  handle,  and  not  by  the  blade,  when  we  ask  them 
to  memorize  Scripture.  Very  many  of  the  passages  of 
the  Bible  are  so  plain  that  their  meaning  is  evident  at 
the  first  utterance  ;  but  those  which  are  not  so  should  be 
explained  to  the  child  as  far  as  possible,  enough,  at  least, 
to  give  him  an  intelligent  thought  in  connection  with 
them.  I  do  not  say  that  the  meaning  of  every  word 
should  be  explained,  but  the  general  thought  of  the  text 
should  be  understood  ;  and  this  plan  would  suggest  that 
memory  verses  and  golden  texts  had  better  be  memo- 
rized by  the  class  after  the  lesson  containing  them  has 
been  taught,  rather  than  before.  Otherwise  the  words 
spoken  in  the  sixteenth  century  by  Roger  Ascham  of 
some  pupils  who  learned  their  lessons  without  under- 
standing them,  will  be  made  true  of  the  scholars  of  to- 
day :  "  Their  whole  knowledge  was  tied  onely  to  their 
tong  and  lips,  and  never  ascended  up  to  the  braine  and 
head,  and  therefore  was  soon  spitte  out  of  the  mouth 
againe." 

Put  in  contrast  to  this  the  following  incident.  In  the 
days  of  persecution  a  boy  had  secretly  secured  a  Testa- 
ment. The  priest  found  it  out,  and,  taking  it  from  him, 
threw  it  into  the  fire.     As  the  boy  watched  it  burning 


62       Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

with  tears  in  his  eyes,  he  turned  to  the  priest  and  said, 
"  Sir,  the  first  ten  chapters  of  Matthew  are  hidden  safe 
where  you  cannot  burn  them." 

"  Tell  me  where  they  are  ox  you  shall  burn  !  "  said  the 
priest,  sternly. 

"  I  have  them  in  my  heart,'"  was  the  boy's  brave 
answer. 

Professor  Gillett,  of  the  Normal  College  of  New  York 
city,  once  said  in  a  Sunday-school  teachers'  gathering 
where  this  subject  of  memorizing  was  being  discussed, 
that  it  had  been  a  principle  with  him  for  years  not  to 
request  a  lesson  to  be  learned  until  it  had  been  the 
theme  of  conversation  in  the  class,  or  had  been  explained 
in  some  way.  The  testimony  of  hundreds  of  educators 
in  our  own  and  other  countries  would  show  the  same 
plan. 

Why  is  it  that  many  Sunday-school  teachers  are  so 
blind  to  the  right  of  development  of  a  child's  mind,  and 
that  they  strongly  urge  there  is  no  necessity  in  under- 
standing what  is  memorized,  but  that  "  the  word  hid  in 
the  heart  will  some  day  be  quickened  into  a  source  of 
help  and  strength  }  "  I  should  like  to  ask  them  if  Sun- 
day-school instruction  is  not  for  the  purpose  of  training 
up  a  child  in  the  way  he  should  go  for  present  help;  is 
it  not  to  give  him  power  to  overcome  temptation  in 
"  another's  greater  strength.'*  "  The  Scripture  passage 
(Psa.  xix,  9,  it)  which  teaches  the  hiding  of  God's  word 
in  the  heart,  declares  that  it  is  to  be  done  to  cleanse  the 
soul  and  keep  free  from  sin.  It  surely  is  not  reasonable 
to  overlook  the  child's  present  need,  that  there  may  be 
laid  up  for  him  wisdom  for  maturity,  when,  indeed,  not 


The  Af't  of  Memorizing.  63 

only  for  present  help,  but  for  the  future  as  well,  he  would 
be  made  stronger  by  an  intelligent  memorizing  of  the 
Scripture.  I  am  thinking  that  Satan  does  not  object  to 
"  hiding  of  the  w^ord  "  in  the  child's  heart  if  it  is  "  hid  " 
away  from  the  child's  understanding,  for  he  looks  at  the 
possibility  that  the  child  may  be  called  from  earth  before 
the  precious  seed  has  had  time  or  occasion  to  spring  into 
life  and  bear  the  fruit  of  the  Spirit. 

A  gentleman,  to  show  a  young  friend,  who  had  studied 
geography  several  years,  something  about  the  shape  and 
motion  of  the  earth,  took  up  an  apple  and  illustrated  the 
scientific  fact.  His  young  friend  looked  at  the  apple 
and  at  the  gentleman  a  few  minutes  with  great  interest, 
and  said  :  "  Why,  sir,  you  don't  mean  that  the  earth 
really  turns  round,  do  you  1  "  He  replied,  "  Did  you 
not  learn  that  long  ago  1  "  "  Yes,  sir,"  she  responded, 
"  I  learned  \{^  but  I  never  knew  it  before." 

Ah  !  there  is  a  wqde  space  between  learning  and 
knowing.  Nothing  less  than  to  lead  their  pupils  to  know, 
to  the  depths  of  their  souls,  the  blessed  truth  as  it  is  in 
Jesus,  should  be  our  aim  as  Sunday-school  teachers. 

James  Gall,  the  veteran  Sunday-school  worker  of 
Scotland,  and  author  of  End  and  Essence  of  Sabbath- 
school  Teachings  whose  thoughts  and  practice  were 
earnestly  turned  toward  securing  intelligent  memorizing 
of  the  Bible  and  the  Catechism,  says:  "  A  large  proportion 
of  those  who  could  recite  pages  of  the  Bible  or  Cate- 
chism with  perfect  accuracy  lived  and  died  in  ignorance 
of  the  w^ay  of  life." 

Mr.  Gall  showed  "  a  more  excellent  way  "  of  teaching 
religious  truth,  by  means  of  well-considered   extempo- 


64      Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

rized  questions,  drawing  out  the  meaning  and  applica- 
tions of  the  Bible  text  and  Catechism  answers  so  that 
the  words  memorized  were  understood  when  first  lodged 
in  the  memory.  His  statement  of  the  "  effects  of  the 
old  system  of  religious  instruction  as  now  practically 
exhibited  in  society,"  and  of  "the  difference  between 
learning  a  Catechism  and  being  catechised,"  would,  per- 
haps, give  new  light  to  many  who  now  advocate  a  return 
to  the  old  modes  of  teaching,  or  of  attempting  to  in- 
doctrinate the  young  through  unintelligent  memorizing. 

One  warning  which  Gall  then  gave  is,  after  fifty  years, 
still  needed,  not  only  by  teachers,  but  by  some  who  as- 
sume to  instruct  teachers.  It  is  this  :  "  The  principal 
thing  to  be  guarded  against  by  the  teacher,  at  this  [the 
earlier]  stage  of  a  religious  education,  is  the  repeating, 
or  committing  words  to  memory,  without  the  children's 
understanding  them.  However  little  they  read  or  learn, 
it  should  always  be  understood."  *  Being  understood,  it 
will  be  likely  to  go  home  with  the  pupils  and  influence 
their  lives.  A  beautiful  instance  of  this  is  given  in 
Nehemiah  viii,  8,  10,  12. 

The  question  might  very  justly  be  asked,  Will  as  much 
Scripture  be  memorized  by  the  plan  suggested,  as  by  the 
award  of  prizes  ?  To  say  nothing  of  the  miserable  motives 
which  influence  the  seeking  of  prizes,  I  should  like  the 
question  better  in  this  form  :  Will  more  Scripture  be 
lived  as  a  result  of  committing  it  to  memory  understand- 
ingly,  or  for  a  prize  for  the  greatest  number  of  verses  ? 
But  I  will  answer  the  question  as  first  given.  Let  two 
children  be  examined  who  have  memorized  in  the  two 
*  "  Sunday-School  World." 


The  Ai't  of  Memorizing.  65 

ways  just  named,  and  doubtless  the  one  who  had  been 
striving  for  the  prize  (not  for  the  prize  of  the  high  call- 
ing of  God  in  Christ  Jesus)  would  be  able  to  repeat  the 
largest  number  of  verses ;  but  let  those  two  persons  be 
brought  together  again  at  the  end  of  ten  years,  and  the 
result  would  usually  prove  exactly  opposite ;  one  having 
soon  "  spitte  them  out  of  the  mouth,"  while  the  other 
pondered  them  in  the  heart. 

"  How  can  pupils  always  come  to  the  class  prepared 
with  their  lessons,  if  they  must  understand  the  lesson  be- 
fore memorizing  it  ?"  is  a  question  which  naturally  arises. 
I  have  long  been  in  the  habit  of  requesting  the  children 
of  my  classes  to  learn  during  the  week  the  Golden  Text 
of  the  lesson  taught  the  preceding  Sunday,  rather  than 
that  of  the  new  lesson,  desiring  them  to  understand  what 
they  learned.  I  had  once  the  privilege  of  attending  a 
course  of  lectures,  by  Dr.  C.  S.  Robinson,  on  the  "  Exo- 
dus," illustrated  by  the  stereopticon.  After  listening  to 
each  lecture,  I  was  eager  to  get  home  that  I  might  again 
read  the  Bible  account  of  the  Exodus,  which  had  sud- 
denly become  fraught  with  new  meaning.  There  would 
be  great  gain  to  the  Sunday-school  cause  if  pupils  could 
be  thus  incited  to  study.  Primary  teachers  can  see  to  it 
that  their  little  pupils  are  started  in  this  right  way.  If 
I  were  the  teacher  of  older  pupils  than  are  in  the  Pri- 
mary Department,  my  requirement  for  home  study  would 
be  mainly  connected  with  the  preceding  lesson,  while  I 
should  encourage  the  study  of  the  new  lesson  also. 

The  principle  of  memorizing  with  the  aid  of  the  un- 
derstanding has   been  sadly  violated  in  teaching  chil- 
dren the  Catechism,  prayers,  and  songs.     A  little  child 
5 


66      Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

was  heard  to  sing,  "  Let  me  die  in  the  harness  shop." 
Being  asked  where  he  learned  to  sing  the  song,  he  re- 
plied, "  In  the  Sunday-school."  Upon  inquiring  of  his 
teacher,  it  was  found  that  the  child  was  trying  to  sing, 
"  Let  me  die  in  the  harness  " — in  the  exercise  of  Chris- 
tian duty.  He  sang  it  wrong  because  he  did  not  un- 
derstand it.  Another  child,  after  having  been  taught  for 
two  or  three  years  to  pray,  "  Now  I  lay  me  down  to 
sleep,"  etc.,  astonished  his  mother  very  much  one  even- 
ing by  stopping  in  the  midst  of  his  prayer  to  ask  what 
''''  fie-she-die "  (if  I  should  die)  meant.  How  many 
children  are  thus  being  trained  to  lip  service  by  well- 
meaning,  but  thoughtless,  parents  and  teachers  !  A  lady 
remembers  having  almost  grown  to  womanhood  before 
she  understood  what  "  manschefen  "  (man's  chief  end) 
in  the  Catechism  meant.* 

*  In  the  Presbyterian  Church  we  have  got  a  good  old  Catechism — 
we  call  it  the  Westminster  Catechism — and  its  theology  is  sound.  .  It 
is  good  for  theological  students  and  men  after  they  get  to  be  thirty 
years  old  or  so,  but  it  is  not  intended  for  babes.  Some  give  it  to 
children  of  six.  I  know  by  experience,  because  I  got  the  dose  at 
six.  Go  to  a  Presbyterian  and  tell  him  not  to  give  it  to  a  child  of 
six,  and  he  will  hold  up  his  hands  in  holy  horror !  "  What !  not 
give  the  children  that  dear  old  Westminster  Catechism?  I  was 
brought  up  on  it  and  it  is  good  ! "  I  would  as  soon  think  of  giving 
a  babe  tough  beefsteak  at  a  week  old  and  expect  it  to  digest  it  as  to 
expect  a  child  of  six  years  old  to  understand  that  Catechism.  But 
then,  they  say,  we  expect  them  to  get  it  by  heart — they  mean  by  ear 
— and  then,  when  they  get  grown  up  it  will  all  come  to  them,  and 
they  will  understand  it.  Why  not  apply  the  same  rule  to  every 
thing,  and  let  the  child  of  six  years  old  memorize  the  forty-seventh 
problem  of  the  first  book  of  Euclid,  telling  him  that  although  he 
does  not  understand  it  now,  he  will  when  he  is  grown  up  ?  No  ! 
give  them  just  what  the  Bible  is    full  of— the  milk  of  the  blessed 


The  Art  of  Memorizing.  6/ 

In  the  Sunday-school  with  which  I  am  now  connected,  a 
class  in  the  Methodist  Catechism,  or  "  Church  Teacher," 
has  been  organized  by  the  pastor,  consisting  of  about 
fifty  boys  and  girls,  mostly  between  eight  and  sixteen 
years  of  age.  It  meets  for  half  an  hour  at  the  close  of 
the  Sunday-school,  and  two  or  three  questions  and  an- 
swers are  explained  and  illustrated  at  each  session  and 
then  memorized,  the  exercise  being  accompanied  with 
prayers  and  testimonies  and  songs  by  the  children,  and 
also  by  any  adults  who  may  be  present.  It  is  not  ex- 
pected that  the  children  will  get  a  thorough  understand- 
ing of  the  doctrines  taught,  but  they  do  at  least  receive 
some  intelligent  idea  of  each  sentence  they  are  asked  to 
remember. 

Just  here  I  am  reminded  to  express  a  desire  that 
there  might  be  a  change  in  the  time  of  the  responsive 
reading  of  the  lesson  by  the  school,  which  it  would  seem 
might  be  done  with  a  better  understanding,  and  conse- 
quently more  interest,  after  the  attention  of  all  had 
been  concentrated  upon  it  during  the  lesson  hour, 
rather  than  at  the  usual  time — the  opening  of  the 
school. 

I  am  thinking  that  some  of  these  days,  wnen  you 
are  advocating  the  principles  contained  in  this  letter, 
you  will  want  to  quote  higher  authority  than  your 
friend,  Mrs.  C,  so  I  am  going  to  furnish  you  with  a  for- 

Gospel — milk  for  babes.  Give  them  the  Bible,  which  is  so  full  of 
Jesus  that  we  can  feel  his  arm  around  our  neck  as  we  read.  The  dry, 
metaphysical  Catechism  as  a  substitute  for  it  is  blasphemy.  I  love 
the  Catechism  in  its  place,  but  this  is  not  its  place. — Rev.  Howard 
Crosby,  D.D. 


68      Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

midable  list  of  names  and  evidences  that  I  have  taken 
from  a  fine  article  written  by  Rev.  Henry  Clay  Trum- 
bull for  the  Sunday- School  Times :  **  Robert  Herbert  Quick 
quotes  Montaigne,  Milton,  Locke,  Ratich,  Comenius, 
Jacotot,  Rousseau,  and  others,  as  agreeing  that  *  only 
that  which  is  understood  maybe  committed  to  memory.' 
Said  Comenius,  '  In  teaching  let  the  inmost  part,  that  is, 
the  understanding  of  the  subject,  come  first,  then  let  the 
thing  understood  be  used  to  exercise  the  memory.' 
Ratich  affirmed,  '  Knowledge  of  the  thing  itself  must 
be  given  before  that  which  refers  to  the  thing ;  for  if  a 
thing  is  thoroughly  grasped  by  the  understanding,  the 
memory  retains  it  without  further  trouble.'  " 

Perhaps  I  ought  not  to  do  more  now  than  name  those 
who  agree  with  this  opinion  on  memorizing  :  Wilder- 
spin,  the  originator  of  the  infant-school  system ;  James 
Currie,  principal  of  the  Church  of  Scotland  Training 
College,  at  Edinburgh ;  Wm.  Russell,  editor  of  the 
Ainericafi  Journal  of  Education ;  Herbert  Spencer ; 
M.  Marcel ;  James  Gill,  of  Scotland  ;  Rev.  J.  F.  Sar- 
geant,  of  London ;  J.  G.  Fitch,  of  London  ;  Dr.  John 
Todd;  Dr.  John  S.  Hart;  Dr.  John  P.  Gulliver;  Dr.  J. 
M.  Gregory.  Mr.  Trumbull  adds  :  "And  so  the  authori- 
ties might  be  multiplied,  but  already  it  has  been  shown 
there  has  been  substantial  agreement  on  this  point 
among  representative  teachers  in  Germany,  Austria, 
Denmark,  Switzerland,  France,  England,  Scotland,  and 
America." 

There  is  another  authority  to  be  added,  God's  word 
by  his  apostle  Paul,  wherein  we  find  the  following:  "  If 
the   trumpet   give  an  uncertain   sound,  who  shall  pre- 


The  Art  of  Memorizing.  69 

pare  himself  to  the  battle  ?  So  likewise  ye,  except  ye 
utter  by  the  tongue  words  easy  to  be  understood,  how 
shall  it  be  known  what  is  spoken,  for  ye  shall  speak  into 
the  air.  I  had  rather  speak  five  words  with  my  under- 
standing, that  by  my  voice  I  might  teach  others  also, 
than  ten  thousand  words  in  an  unknown  tongue." 
Yours,  in  loving  service,  S.  J.  C. 


70      Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 


VIII. 

The  Art  of  Illustration. 

Dear  Teacher  Friend  : — If  you  should  ask  me,  "  What 
are  the  best  helps  to  gain  attention  ? "  I  would  reply, 
The  use  of  apt  illustrations. 

One  hot  summer  day  I  was  trying  to  give  my  class  an 
idea  of  an  ancient  sandal ;  but  the  children  were  far 
more  interested  in  making  mischief  than  they  were  in 
the  lesson.  I  stooped  down  quickly,  and,  taking  off  the 
shoe  of  a  little  girl  who  sat  near,  held  it  up,  saying : 
"  Here  is  Annie's  shoe.  If  it  had  no  buttons  on  it,  and 
was  nothing  but  a  sole  with  strings  to  tie  around  her 
foot  to  keep  it  on,  it  would  be  much  like  the  shoes 
people  used  to  wear  when  Jesus  was  on  earth.  They 
called  their  funny  shoes  sandals."  Every  eye  was  fast- 
ened upon  the  shoe,  and  all  the  scholars  were  interested 
and  instructed. 

Illustrations  will  also  hold  the  attention.  1  have 
already  written  so  much  upon  this  point  in  a  pre- 
vious letter  that  I  will  not  enlarge  upon  it  here  more 
than  to  say,  so  long  as  children  are  interested, 
they  are  attentive,  and  they  are  attentive  so  long 
as  the  lesson  is  within  their  realm,  the  world  of  pict- 
ure and  story,  and  not  in  the  upper  air  of  abstrac- 
tions. For  children  one  illustration  is  worth  a  hundred 
abstractions. 

If  you  should   ask  me,  "  What  are  the  best  helps  to 


The  Art  of  Illustration.  7 1 

memory  ?"  I  should  also  answer,  Apt  illustrations.  They 
both  "strike  and  stick."  As  a  friend  once  said  to  me, 
*'  They  stick  like  burs  in  a  boy's  hair.'  Doubtless  you 
have  felt,  as  I  have,  an  earnest  desire  to  give  the  truth 
you  teach  such  a  degree  of  tenacity  that  it  will  be  im- 
possible for  the  children  to  forget  it.  What  will  make 
a  teacher  able  to  do  this,  was  once  very  clearly  shown 
by  Ralph  Wells.  Dr.  Storrs  had  delivered  a  very  fine 
address  on  some  topic,  and  Mr.  Wells,  in  order  to  test 
what  is  best  remembered,  asked  a  number  of  persons 
what  Dr.  Storrs  had  said.  In  each  case  what  was  re- 
called was  hung  on  an  illustration.  This  law  of  associ- 
ation is  one  of  memory's  greatest  helpers.  Have  you 
not  sometimes  succeeded  in  recalling  something  you 
had  forgotten,  but  were  trying  to  remember,  by  going 
back  to  the  place  where  you  stood  or  sat  when  you  had 
the  thought  1  Have  you  not  been  able  to  remember  a 
new  and  peculiar  name  by  associating  it  with  some- 
thing } 

Illustration  is  a  help  also  in  another  direction.  "  It 
lightens  up  or  illuminates  a  lesson."*  Until  I  learned 
to  associate  God's  truth  with  familiar  objects,  it  was 
very  tiresome  work  for  me  to  read  the  Bible.  One  day, 
while  taking  a  carriage  drive  with  a  friend,  these  ques- 
tions were  asked  me:  "What  does  the  Bible  say  about 
rocks?  about  water?  about  trees?"  When  I  began  to 
search  for  answers  by  aid  of  a  concordance  the  reading 
of  the  Bible  ceased  to  be  a  dull  task,  and  passages 
which  I  had  read  with  indifference  before  became 
bright  points  of  interest.  I  do  not  hesitate  to  say  that 
*  Dr.  Vincent. 


y2       Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

by  the  aid  of  illustration  a  teacher  can  succeed  in  mak- 
ing children  enjoy  and  understand  any  lesson  suitable 
to  be  given  to  them. 

Illustration  lightens  up  a  lesson,  especially  by  aiding 
the  children  to  understand  a  new  truth  through  com- 
parison with  something  already  familiar.  "  You  tell  us 
what  things  arCy  but  never  what  they  are  likcy'  was  the 
criticism  of  Robert  Hall  on  a  brother  minister.  I 
wished  to  give  a  lesson  on  the  "  Resurrection  "  to  a  class 
of  little  pupils  to  whom  I  discovered  it  was  an  entirely 
new  thought.  The  first  step  was  to  plant  three  weeks 
beforehand  in  the  presence  of  the  class  a  grain  of  corn 
in  a  flower-pot.  When  the  day  of  the  lesson  came 
there  was  a  little  plant  two  inches  high.  It  was  drawn 
up,  and  the  grain  of  corn  was  seen  attached  to  it.  The 
children  were  taught  that  the  seed  had  been  buried,  and 
God  had  called  it  to  come  up.  They  were  then  told 
about  the  conversation  of  two  little  girls  beside  the 
grave  of  their  little  friend.  Amy. 

"  Did  you  say  that  they  planted  her.?  Will  she  come 
up  next  year.?  "  asked  Annie. 

"  No,  not  so  soon,"  answered  Katy  ;  "  but  some  day 
God  will  call  her  to  come  up,  then  she  will.  Papa 
knows  every  thing,  and  he  said  she  would." 

Then  the  story  of  Lazarus  was  told,  as  giving  proof 
that  the  dead  would  come  forth  when  God  should  call 
them.  A  general  resurrection,  was  taught,  and  finally 
the  children  were  asked  how  they  would  like  to  look 
when  they  should  come  out  of  their  graves.  One 
little  girl,  five  years  old,  and  a  boy,  replied,  "  Very 
pretty."     Another  child  answered,  "Just  as  I  do  now." 


The  Art  of  Illustration.  73 

They  were  then  taught  that  if  they  truly  loved  Jesus 
they  would  shine  as  the  sun,  and  look  like  him. 

The  worship  of  the  early  Church  was  a  grand  system 
of  illustration  devised  by  God  himself.  The  sacrifice 
of  a  lamb  without  spot  or  blemish  was  like  the  sacrifice 
of  the  sinless  Lamb  of  God.  The  blood  which  must  be 
sprinkled  to  insure  that  the  life  was  yet  in  it,  typified  the 
sacrifice  of  a  living  Christ.  The  offering  of  dead  blood, 
which  would  have  been  coagulated  and  could  not  have 
been  sprinkled,  would  not  have  been  typical  of  the 
blood  which  pleads  for  our  sins.  The  altar  to  burn  in- 
cense upon  every  morning  and  at  even  when  the  lamps 
were  lighted,  taught  prayer  to  a  nation  who  in  no 
other  way  could  have  comprehended  what  prayer  was. 
The  high  priest,  who  alone  was  admitted  to  the  Holy 
of  holies  or  allowed  to  gaze  upon  the  mercy-seat,  the 
throne  of  God,  was  a  grand  illustration  of  the  Advo- 
cate with  the  Father,  even  Jesus  Christ  the  righteous. 
Macaulay  says  :  "  Logicians  may  reason  about  abstrac- 
tions, but  the  great  mass  of  mankind  can  never  feel  an 
interest  in  them.  They  must  have  images."  He  also 
says  that  in  early  ages  "  God,  the  uncreated,  the  incom- 
prehensible, the  invisible,  attracted  few  worshipers.  It 
was  before  Deity  embodied  in  a  human  form,  walking 
among  men,  partaking  of  their  infirmities,  leaning  on 
their  bosoms,  weeping  over  their  graves,  slumbering  in 
the  manger,  bleeding  on  the  cross,  that  the  prejudices 
of  the  synagogue,  and  the  doubts  of  the  academy,  and 
the  pride  of  the  portico,  and  the  fasces  of  the  lictor,  and 
the  swords  of  thirty  legions,  were  humbled  in  the  dust." 

There  is  a  certain  school  of  thinkers  who  believe  that 


74      Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

"  the  development  of  man  commences  with  natural 
perceptions  through  the  senses ;  its  highest  attainment 
is  the  exercise  of  reason."  Taken  without  modifica- 
tions, this  would  have  a  rationalistic  tendency. 

God  has  given  us  power  to  receive  impressions  or 
ideas  of  things  through  the  five  senses  of  the  body,  and 
he  has  endowed  us  with  the  still  higher  capability  of 
perceiving  truth  by  soul  intuitions,  which  we  call  rea- 
son, but  would,  perhaps,  be  better  named  revelation. 
We  know  some  things,  the  knowledge  of  which  we  can- 
not trace  to  any  other  source  than  to  God  himself. 

The  teaching  in  our  Sunday-schools  will  be  degraded 
in  the  measure  that  it  is  mere  object  teaching,  but  to 
bring  the  higher  and  lower  faculties  to  point  of  contact 
will  constitute  the  noblest  kind  of  teaching.  The  fail- 
ure of  so  many  teachers  to  do  this  in  the  use  of  objects 
has  given  to  persons  of  fine  spiritual  sense  a  dislike  to 
the  method  adapted  to  religious  instruction.  Let  the 
spirit  which  the  term  object  illustratio7i  embodies  to  a 
Christian  teacher,  but  which  would  be  better  expressed 
by  the  words  intuitional  instruction^  pervade  Sunday- 
school  teaching. 

But  while  the  purpose  of  illustration  is  to  lighten  a 
lesson,  sometimes  the  effect  is  to  darken  it.  This  is  the 
case  when  the  illustration  is  made  more  prominent  than 
the  lesson-thought,  by  the  teacher's  failure  to  make  a 
definite  application  of  the  illustration.  In  the  use  of 
illustrations  there  are  conditions  to  be  nicely  adjusted. 
This  cannot  be  done  by  putting  the  illustration  in  one 
balance  and  the  truth  in  the  other  to  test  which  will 
weigh  the  heavier  on  a  pupil's  mind.     But  the  illustra- 


The  Art  of  Illustration.  75 

tion  must  be  well  overlaid  with  the  truth,  as  were  the 
boards  of  Shittim  wood  overlaid  with  gold  in  the  boild- 
ing  of  the  tabernacle.  A  teacher  should  test  his  work 
in  this  direction  by  making  inquiries  of  parents  what  the 
children  say  about  the  lesson  at  home. 

It  should  also  be  kept  in  mind  that  incongruous  illus- 
trations darken  a  lesson  by  changing,  as  it  were,  the  as- 
pect of  the  truth,  or  by  mingling  it  with  ludicrous  and 
degrading  associations;  that  inaccurate  illustrations 
often  destroy  impressions  of  truth.  A  mother  had  been 
teaching  her  little  daughter  about  the  ark.  Some  time 
after  the  child  was  looking  at  a  picture  of  an  ark,  when 
she  suddenly  exclaimed,  "  Why,  mamma,  you  told  me 
the  ark  had  only  one  window  in  it,  and  that  was  in  the 
roof!  This  picture  has  ten  windows  in  the  ark,  for  I 
counted  them." 

Illustrations  may  be  divided  into  two  classes :  first, 
those  addressed  to  the  ear;  second,  those  addressed  to 
the  eye.  Stories  and  incidents  are  included  in  the 
first  class ;  to  the  second  class  belong  blackboard  exer- 
cises, object  illustrations,  and  pictures.  Of  the  former 
I  will  give  some  hints  in  this  letter,  but  I  will  reserve 
the  second  class  for  another  letter,  which  will  be  on  the 
subject  of  eye-teaching. 

A  child's  love  of  hearing  a  story  is  too  well  known  to 
you  to  need  more  than  mention.  *'  Tell  me  a  story  "  is 
the  universal  plea  from  children;  and,  therefore,  no  in- 
struction given  to  little  people  would  be  complete  with- 
out the  story  element.  The  most  desirable  stories  for 
illustration  are  to  be  found  in  the  Bible.  It  is  of  itself 
a  "Christian  Treasury."     In  these  times  the  attention 


76      Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

of  Bible  students  is  being  particularly  directed  to  using 
the  Bible  as  its  own  commentary.  Many  can  say  with 
Jeremiah,  "  Thy  words  were  found,  and  I  did  eat  them  ; 
and  thy  word  was  unto  me  the  joy  and  rejoicing  of  mine 
lieart." 

The  way  to  make  our  nation  a  more  Bible-loving  and 
Bible-studying  people  is  to  begin  a  right  course  in  child- 
hood. All  that  we  can  do  as  teachers  to  interest  chil- 
dren in  the  Bible  will  tend  toward  the  accomplishment 
of  this. 

Bible  stories  are  apt  to  have  a  sort  of  unreality  about 
them  to  the  minds  of  children.  This  is,  perhaps,  due 
somewhat  to  the  difference  of  customs,  names,  etc.,  be- 
tween those  times  and  our  own  time.  And  these  stories 
have  been  so  often  repeated  that  it  is  hard  to  realize 
them,  just  as  we  do  not  realize  the  common  blessings 
of  life  because  they  are  so  constantly  bestowed.  I  have 
found  it  well  to  tell  a  Bible  story,  withholding  all  Bible 
names,  (see  Specimen  Lesson  on  Jesus,  the  King,)  and 
have  thus  been  able  to  carry  the  interest  and  attention 
of  the  class  until  the  end  of  the  lesson,  or  to  a  point 
where  I  could  lead  the  children  to  know  for  themselves 
that  I  was  telling  them  something  from  the  Bible. 

Second  to  Bible  stories  for  illustrations  are  incidents 
which  may  be  gathered  from  many  sources — home-life, 
school-life,  play,  etc. 

These  should  never  be  told  simply  for  amusement. 
They  should  enforce  thought  rather  than  make  up  for 
the  lack  of  it. 

"  An  illustration  is  merely  a  channel  which  is  dug, 
through  which  thought  flows  more  easily  into  the  mind. 


The  Art  of  Illustration.  77 

and  the  channel   is  useless  if  the  water  of  truth  does 
not  flow  through  it." 

Besides  stories,  another  class  of  illustrations  addressed 
to  the  ear  are  word-pictures.  The  following  poem,  by  the 
"  Poet  of  the  Sierras,"  so  beautiful  that  I  have  copied  it 
for  you,  will  give  an  idea  of  what  I  mean  by  word- 
pictures.  A  prominent  daily  paper  says  :  "  It  makes 
us  think  of  some  canvas  after  Murillo  or  Rubens." 

Beyond  Jordan. 

"  And  they  came  to  him,  mothers  of  Judah, 

Dark-eyed  and  in  splendor  of  hair, 

Bearing  down  over  shoulders  of  beauty, 

And  bosoms  half  hidden,  half  bare  ; 

*'  And  they  brought  him  their  babes  and  besought  him, 
Half  kneeling,  with  suppliant  air, 
To  bless  the  brown  cheiaibs  they  brought  him, 
With  holy  hands  laid  in  their  hair. 

'*  Then  reaching  his  hands  he  said,  lowly, 
'  Of  such  is  my  kingdom  ;*  and  then 
Took  the  brown  little  babes  in  the  holy 
White  hands  of  the  Saviour  of  men  ; 

"  Held  them  close  to  his  heart  and  caress'd  them, 
Put  his  face  down  to  theirs,  as  in  prayer ; 
Put  their  hands  to  his  neck  and  so  bless'd  them, 
With  baby  hands  hid  in  his  hair." 

Does  not  the  poem  help  you  to  see,  better  than  you 
have  ever  seen  it  before,  how  it  all  must  have  been 
when  Christ  was  blessing  the  little  children  .?  If  we  can- 
not be  poets,  we  can  at  least  become  teachers,  who  are 
able  to  make  Bible  incidents  appear  as  vivid  pictures 
to  the  imaginations  of  children.     In  word-picturing  the 


78       Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

pupil  will  acquire  no  more  definite  and  vivid  view  of 
the  lesson  than  the  teacher  himself  possesses. 

The  list  of  illustrations  addressed  to  the  ear  would 
not  be  complete  without  allegory.  I  never  realized  how 
much  an  allegory  could  be  to  a  child  until  I  read  Little 
IVomen,  by  Miss  Alcott.  You  will  remember  how  the 
lives  of  the  four  young  girls  were  patterned  after  Ftl- 
grims  Progress.  At  least  this  grand  masterpiece  of  alle- 
gory should  be  studied  by  you,  not  only  to  gain  illustra- 
tions, but  also  to  help  you  make  original  illustrations  of 
a  similar  character.  I  know  of  a  mother  who  allegorizes 
the  naughty  ways  of  her  young  children  by  personifying 
them  in  mice  and  other  animals.  She  thinks  they  are 
thus  enabled  to  see  themselves  as  others  see  them. 

As  my  next  letter  is  to  be  devoted  to  the  other  de- 
partment of  illustration — eye-teaching — I  will  occupy 
the  remainder  of  this  letter  in  suggesting  how  to  acquire 
the  art  of  illustration. 

Several  excellent  books  of  illustrations  have  been 
published  for  the  use  of  Sunday-school  teachers.  These 
serve  an  important  purpose,  but  more  valuable  than  any 
book  or  collection  of  illustrations  is  the  acquirement  of 
the  illustrating  habit.  This  is  to  be  gained  by  cultivat- 
ing the  observing  powers  and  by  a  course  of  reading. 
I  know  of  a  teacher  who  never  sees  or  reads  any  thing 
which  interests  him  without  asking  himself  the  ques- 
tion, "  What  can  I  illustrate  by  this  ?  "  A  good  illus- 
tration is  not  given  by  him  to  a  treacherous  memory  to 
keep,  but  is  placed  either  in  a  repertory,  or  index  rermUy 
or  labeled  envelopes,  classified  in  a  way  to  make  it 
easily  found  when  needed. 


The  Art  of  Illustration.  79 

"  What  is  it  like  ?  "  as  an  habitual  question  in  con- 
nection with  every  lesson,  will  gather  illustrations  as  a 
lodestone  gathers  about  itself  iron  filings.  Ask  your- 
self the  question,  What  is  like  this  truth  in  the  Bible? 
What  is  like  it  in  home  life  ?     What  is  like  it  in  nature  ? 

A  course  of  reading  that  would  be  most  beneficial  to 
prepare  one's  self  to  illustrate  would  include,  first,  the 
Bible;  second,  sermons  and  essays  written  by  persons 
celebrated  for  their  illustrating  habit,  as  Guthrie,  Arnot, 
Spurgeon,  Beecher,  Talmage,  and  Newton  ;  third,  hand- 
books on  illustrative  teaching,  as  The  Art  of  Illustra- 
tion, by  J.  S.  Fitch  ;  The  Use  of  Illustration,  by  J  as.  M. 
Freeman  ;  Illustrative  Teaching,  by  W.  H.  Groser  ;  Art 
of  Picturing,  by  W.  H.  Groser  ;  Through  the  Eye  to  the 
Heart,  by  W.  F.  Crafts. 

Finally,  the  best  way  to  acquire  the  art  of  illustration 
is  to  be  a  thorough  Christian  at  heart,  for  only  that 
which  has  made  its  way  from  the  head  of  the  teacher  to 
his  heart  and  conscience  will  succeed  in  making  an  im- 
pression upon  the  conscience  of  the  children. 

I  like  to  think  that  an  aptitude  to  teach  others  is  a 
part  of  that  living  water  which  Jesus  has  promised.  By 
his  power  the  heart  of  a  teacher  may  indeed  become 
a  fountain  springing  up  into  everlasting  life  in  many 
souls. 

Yours,  in  loving  service,  S.  J.  C. 


8o      Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 


IX. 

Visible  Illustration. 

Dear  Teacher  Friend  : — The  case  before  us  now  is 
Eye  vs.  Ear  in  teaching.  A  farmer  told  his  man,  Patrick, 
to  feed  the  oxen  with  corn  in  the  ear.  He  came  back 
in  a  little  while,  saying,  "  Sure,  sir,  I  did  as  ye  tould 
me.  I  fed  them  with  corn  in  the  ear,  but  they  shook  it 
all  out.  Niver  a  bit  of  it  could  I  get  down."  Perhaps 
you  have  had  a  somewhat  similar  experience  in  teach- 
ing little  children.  You  have  found  that  the  lesson 
"  went  in  at  one  ear  and  out  at  the  other,"  or,  perhaps, 
it  has  proved  difficult  to  get  any  lesson  at  all  into  their 
ears. 

Horace,  in  giving  directions  to  a  dramatic  writer, 
makes  the  remark  that  "  those  things  which  enter  the 
mind  through  the  ear  make  a  less  vivid  impres- 
sion than  those  which  enter  through  the  eye."  This 
holds  true  of  all  ages,  but  especially  of  the  period  of 
childhood. 

It  is  through  observation  that  children  gain  the  most 
of  their  early  knowledge.  The  most  observant  child  is 
usually  the  most  intelligent.  The  eye  is  the  principal 
agent  in  observation.  The  impressions  gained  through 
it  are  more  numerous  and  more  correct  than  those  ac- 
quired through  any  other  organ. 

The  eye  might  well  be  called  the  king  of  attention, 
for  where  it  leads  attention  will  follow.     A  teacher  has 


Visible  Illustration.  8 1 

only  to.  hold  up  an  object,  or  touch  the  blackboard 
with  a  piece  of  chalk,  and,  whether  he  draws  any  thing 
or  not,  attention  is  arrested.  During  the  last  few  years 
object  lessons  have  become  very  popular  in  our  public 
schools.  The  use  of  objects  in  the  Sabbath  and  day- 
schools  is  for  widely  different  purposes.  In  the  day- 
school  objects  are  introduced  that  the  observing  fac- 
ulties may  be  strengthened  and  general  intelligence 
increased. 

As  a  practical  result,  "  a  child  is  made  to  see  for  it- 
self by  the  aroused  activity  of  its  intellect,  to  advance 
only  as  it  comprehends,  and  to  become  accustomed  to 
habits  of  self-command  and  confidence." 

In  the  Sunday-school  object  illustrations  are  given 
rather  than  object  lessons,  the  object  being  employed 
only  to  teach  spiritual  truth  by  comparison  and  asso- 
ciation. When  this  is  accomplished  the  object  should 
be  put  out  of  sight  or  it  will  have  just  a  contrary 
effect,  diverting  the  attention  rather  than  concentrat- 
ing it. 

I  was  once  giving  a  lesson  on  the  surety  of  God's 
promises.  The  first  step  was  to  ask  the  children  to  tell 
what  a  promise  is  ;  secondly,  to  get  them  to  tell  of  some 
promises  they  had  made;  thirdly,  to  inquire  whether  or 
not  they  had  kept  their  promises  ;  fourthly,  to  take  a 
fine  thread  from  my  pocket  and  snap  it,  to  illustrate  how 
easily  their  promises  are  broken  ;  fifthly,  to  recall  some 
of  God's  promises ;  sixthly,  to  take  a  wire  from  my 
pocket  and  vainly  endeavoring  to  snap  that,  to  illustrate 
that  God's  promises  are  not  broken.  In  this  example 
it  will  be   seen  that  two   object  illustrations  are    given. 


82      Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

Truths  thus  associated  with  familiar  objects  are  made 
plainer  to  the  mind,  and  they  are  longer  in  the  memory 
than  when  they  are  taught  abstractly.  Familiar  ob- 
jects are  thus  made  continual  reminders  of  God. 

There  may  be  excess  in  even  so  good  a  practice  as 
this.  Victor  Hugo  has  said  :  "  The  excess  of  a  good 
quality  becomes  a  vice.  The  generous  man  is  not  far 
removed  from  the  prodigal,  or  the  prudent  man  from 
the  miser."  Excess  in  illustration  would  tend  to  mate- 
rialize truth. 

You  ask,  "  When  should  object  illustrations  be  intro- 
duced in  the  Sunday-school  lesson  1 "  Some  would 
say,  in  the  beginning  of  the  lesson  ;  others,  when  the 
lesson  is  two  thirds  taught.  But  no  general  rule  can  be 
given  unless  it  be  this :  give  illustrations  when  they 
are  needed  to  make  the  truth  clearer.  "  How  can 
it  be  done .''  "  I  will  answer  this  question  by  giving 
some  specimens  which  I  have  gleaned  from  a  num- 
ber of  my  lessons.  When  telling  about  the  rain- 
bow as  a  sign  of  the  covenant  between  God  and 
man,  have  a  prism  to  throw  the  colors  on  the  wall, 
where  they  can  remain  while  you  talk  about  them.  Get 
the  children  to  move  their  hands  in  the  shape  of  the 
rainbow. 

When  teaching  that  the  pillar  of  fire  was  light  to  the 
Israelites,  but  darkness  to  the  Egyptians  in  crossing 
the  Red  Sea,  show  a  piece  of  paper  red  on  one  side 
and  black  on  the  other.  When  this  lesson  was  taught 
in  my  class,  I  provided  each  one  of  my  assistants  with 
such  a  piece  of  paper. 

When  describing  the  vail  of  the  Tabernacle   show 


Visible  Illustration.  83 

some  white  linen,  and  blue,  purple,  and  scarlet  threads, 
and,  if  possible,  a  piece  of  embroidery  done  with  these 
colors. 

In  teaching  the  le?:son  about  "  Joseph  making  himself 
known  to  his  brothers,"  to  show  that  Joseph  reminded 
his  brothers  of  their  wickedness  not  to  punish  them,  but 
rather  to  make  them  love  him  more  and  despise  evil,  bring 
before  the  class  a  branch  covered  with  leaves  and  a 
branch  stripped  of  its  leaves,  and  follow  a  line  of  ques- 
tioning and  development  similar  to  this  :  What  is  the 
difference  between  these  two  branches  ?  One  has 
leaves  on  it  and  the  other  has  none.  Which  one 
might  we  call  a  whip.''  [Children  point.]  Listen  to  the 
voices  of  the  leaves,  [The  teacher  shakes  the  branch 
with  leaves.]  Joseph  wanted  his  brothers'  thoughts 
about  the  wrong  they  had  done  to  him  to  be  like  voices 
telling  them  not  to  do  wTong  any  more,  rather  than  like 
a  whip,  to  give  them  sorrow.  [Here  some  of  the  details 
of  the  story  would  be  given.]  As  they  went  home 
their  thoughts  about  the  wrong  they  had  done  to 
Joseph  [shaking  the  branch  with  leaves]  made  them 
very  kind  to  Benjamin,  and  they  did  all  they  could  to 
keep  harm  from  coming  to  him.  [Let  the  scene  now 
be  described  when  Joseph  sent  every  one  out  of  the 
room  save  his  brothers,  when  he  made  himself  known.] 
Did  Joseph  want  their  thoughts  of  him  to  be  like  a 
whip,  or  like  a  branch  with  leaves } 

I  think  he  wanted  to  take  their  thoughts  about  him 
and  make  them  into  crowns  of  love  to  wear  around 
their  hearts.  [Let  the  teacher  hold  the  branch  of  leaves 
in  the  form  of  a  crown.]     God  wants  our  thoughts  about 


84      Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

the  wrong  we  have  done  to  be  not  like  whips,  giving  us 
sorrow,  but  like  voices,  telling  us  not  to  do  so  any  more. 
God  has  forgiven  us  our  sins  for  Jesus'  sake,  and,  of 
course,  he  does  not  wish  to  punish  us  for  them,  but  he 
wants  to  make  a  crown  of  love  for  us  to  wear  around 
our  hearts  out  of  the  memory  of  our  sins. 

In  teaching  about  a  walled  city,  Jericho,  for  instance, 
set  up  a  toy  village  with  a  high  row  of  blocks  around  it, 
and  explain  the  similarities  and  contrast  between  the 
toy  city  and  the  walled  city. 

In  teaching  about  the  twelve  stones  which  were  set 
up  in  Gilgal  as  a  monument  of  God's  mercies  to  the 
Israelites,  and  applying  the  same  thought  to  our  re- 
membrance of  God's  mercies  to  us,  procure  twelve 
marble  chips.  Write  on  them  :  Jesus  Christ,  The  Com- 
forter, The  Bible,  Heaven,  Life,  Prayer,  Forgiveness, 
Home,  Friends,  Reason,  Food,  Clothing,  and  let  them 
be  set  up  as  a  monument  before  the  class. 

Let  a  little  boy  about  three  years  old — he  will  proba- 
bly have  long  hair — be  placed  before  the  class  to  illus- 
trate Samuel's  age  and  size  when  his  mother  took  him 
to  the  tabernacle  to  be  trained  as  a  servant  to  the 
Lord. 

When  teaching  about  deaf  mutes  cured  by  Christ,  you 
may  find  a  deaf  mute  who  is  willing  to  come  into  the 
class  and  show  the  children  how  pov/erless  he  is  either 
to  hear  or  to  talk. 

Illustrate  the  blessing  of  sight  by  showing  an  opera 
glass  and  telling  what  it  enables  us  to  do.  Show  how  it 
must  be  regulated,  then  tell  that  each  child  has  a  more 
wonderful  pair  of  glasses,  with  which  he  can  see  things 


Visible  Ilhtstration.  85 

both  near  and  far,  and  which  are  self-regulating,  self- 
cleansing,  and  beautiful  in  color.  Tell  the  children  that 
these  "  glasses  "  are  their  eyes. 

To  illustrate  God's  love  by  comparison  with  man's 
love,  the  following  order  of  development  may  be  used. 
If  you  should  see  a  ball  as  large  as  this  whole  room, 
would  it  seem  large  or  small  to  you  .?  See  what  a  little 
ball  I  have  in  my  hand,  [a  very  small  round  seed.] 
Our  love  to  God  is  like  this  little  seed,  but  God's  love 
for  us  is  greater  than  a  ball  as  large  as  this  room  would 
be. 

To  explain  Jesus'  name,  "  Light,"  illustrate  as  follows  : 
How  many  of  you  have  tried  to  look  at  the  sun .?  Do 
you  think  you  could  look  right  at  the  sun  while  I 
could  count  twenty  .?  Do  you  know  of  any  thing  as  bright 
or  even  brighter  than  the  sun }  [They  do  not.]  I  do. 
Jesus  in  heaven  before  he  came  down  to  die  for  us,  and 
Jesus  in  heaven  now.  He  was  and  is  brighter  than  the 
sun.  When  Jesus  came  from  heaven  his  shining  was 
all  shut  up  in  a  body  like  yours  and  mine.  While 
Jesus  was  here  among  men  there  was  one  time  when 
his  God-light  shone  through  his  body  and  his  clothes 
too.  How  well  his  name  of  Light  fitted  him  then. 
This  illustration  was  used  in  a  lesson  on  the  transfigura- 
tion. 

When  teaching  a  lesson  on  the  feeding  of  the  multi- 
tude, bring  before  the  class  five  loaves  made  to  repre- 
sent oriental  bread.  A  very  good  imitation  can  be  made 
by  mixing  Graham  flour  and  coarse  Indian  meal  and 
bran  with  water,  rolling  the  dough  thin  and  cutting  out 
some  round  cakes,  which  should  be  about  ten  inches  in 


86       Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

diameter  and  half  an  inch  in  thickness.  They  should 
be  dried  rather  man  baked  in  a  slow  oven. 

A  lesson  on  humility  might  be  illustrated  in  the  fol- 
lowing manner  :  What  can  you  make  }  "  A  kite,  a  boat, 
a  doll,"  etc.  Endeavor  here  to  recall  the  pride  which 
has  filled  their  hearts  when  they  have  succeeded  in 
making  any  thing. 

How  many  of  you  have  heard  the  sweet  music  which 
the  organ  makes }  Why  does  it  not  make  music  now } 
No  one  is  playing  on  it.    Is  it  right,  then,  to  say  that  the 

organ  makes   the   music  }     Now  Miss  will  play  on 

the  organ.  How  does  she  help  the  organ  to  make 
music  ?  She  puts  air  into  it  and  moves  the  keys.  Each 
one  of  you  is  somewhat  like  an  organ.  Who  gives  you 
air.?  "  God."  What  do  you  call  it  ?  "  Breath."  And  it 
is  God  who  teaches  your  hands  how  to  move  to  make 
things.  He  tells  you  how,  and  puts  strength  into  your 
hands  to  work.  Even  men  and  women  could  do  noth- 
ing themselves.  God  helps  every  body.  Just  as  the 
organ  cannot  make  music  by  itself,  so  no  one  can  do 
any  kind  of  work  unless  God  helps.  What  if  the  organ 
could  talk  and  should  say,  "What  beautiful  music  I  can 
make  !  "     Would  that  be  true  1      What  should  it  say  } 

"What  beautiful  music  Miss can  make  on  me!  " 

You  told  me  a  little  while  ago  that  you  were  proud  when 
you  made  any  thing  that  was  nice ;  is  it  right  for  you  to 
feel  proud  and  say,  "  How  great  I  am  !  "  What  should 
you  say  instead  }  "  How  great  God  is  that  he  can  show 
me  how  to  do  these  things  !  " 

In  teaching  how  we  have  "  freedom  by  the  truth,"  re- 
fer to  the  slavery  of  the   colored  people,  then  show  a 


Visible  Illustration.  87 

facsimile  of  the  Emancipation  Proclamation,  or  a  large 
sheet  of  paper  with  the  following  words  written  upon 
it :  "  I,  Abraham  Lincoln,  President  of  the  United  States 
...  do  order  and  declare  that  all  persons  held  as  slaves 
.  .  .  are,  and  henceforward  shall  be  free."  Tell  the 
children  about  the  results  of  that  document  upon  the 
condition  of  the  slaves.  Teach  them  then  that  they 
are  Satan's  slaves  when  they  do  wrong.  Jesus  wants  to 
make  them  free.  Hold  up  the  Bible  as  Jesus'  Emanci- 
pation Proclamation,  and  read  from  it  how  we  may  be 
made  free;  "  the  truth  shall  make  you  free,"  that  is,  by 
trying  to  do  as  the  Bible  teaches  us  we  become  God's 
free  children. 

Let  us  now  pass  to  the  other  department  of  Visible 
Illustrations  :  pictures,  and  blackboard  work.  I  have 
in  my  home  a  copy  of  The  ChiliVs  Bible,  a  quarto  vol- 
ume, which  contains  one  hundred  and  fifteen  full  page 
illustrations,  and  as  many,  if  not  more,  half-page  pict- 
ures. It  has  been  invaluable  to  me  in  giving  vividness 
to  my  ideas  of  Bible  events,  and  has,  therefore,  been  a 
great  help  to  me  in  my  preparations  to  teach  the  little 
children.  In  some  instances  I  have  taken  the  pictures 
into  my  class.  Such  a  Bible  would  be  a  perfect  delight 
to  a  child.  He  could,  by  aid  of  the  pictures,  gain  a 
pretty  good  knowledge  of  the  Bible  before  learning  to 
read.  I  once  heard  Dr.  Arnot  say  that  it  is  the  habit 
of  the  world  to  read  the  pictures  in  God's  book  instead 
of  the  words.  The  lives  of  Christians  are  those  pictures. 
You  will  readily  recall  instances  where  this  has  been  so, 
and  where  God's  cause  has  suffered  through  the  example 
of  some  unfaithful  Christian.      But  this  is  not  the  point 


88        Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

I  wish  to  emphasize.  You  can  frequently  find  pictures 
to  illustrate  your  lessons  in  commentaries,  Bible  diction- 
aries, and  in  books  on  Bible  manners  and  customs.  I 
have  several  times  been  much  gratified  by  seeing  my 
assistant  teachers  bring  in  these  small  pictures  to  illus- 
trate the  lesson  to  their  little  classes.  For  such  purpose 
a  picture  scrap-book  would  be  almost  invaluable.  Ma- 
terial for  it  could  be  gleaned  from  newspapers,  maga- 
zines, and  various  other  sources. 

Such  pictures  are  apt  to  be  small,  and,  therefore,  use- 
less to  the  Primary  Superintendent  to  show  to  the  whole 
class.  But  such  a  collection  would  be  very  suggestive, 
and  pictures  or  parts  of  pictures  might  sometimes  be 
copied  from  it  on  a  large  scale  upon  the  blackboard. 

There  have  been  published  on  large  sheets  pictures 
representing  some  few  Bible  scenes  in  the  style  of  black- 
board outlines,  which,  if  pinned  to  the  blackboard,  can- 
not be  distinguished  from  an  actual  chalk  drawing  a  few 
feet  away. 

There  will  also  be  occasions  when  you  will  need 
to  make  use  of  the  blackboard. 

To  say  "  that  you  cannot  draw  "  is  no  argument  by 
which  to  excuse  yourself  from  doing  so.  If  we  take 
advantage  of  the  imaginative  powers  of  children  we 
shall  find  that  it  will  answer  nearly  as  well  to  represent 
people,  journeys,  and  places  by  dots  and  lines  as  by 
elaborate  pictures.  Do  you  not  remember  that  rows  of 
broken  bits  of  dishes,  arranged  in  a  little  cupboard  which 
you  made  out  of  blocks  and  stofies,  were  like  so  many 
rows  of  China  in  a  handsome  sideboard  to  the  eyes  of 
your  imagination  as  a  child  ?  You  have  seen  chairs  con- 


Visible   Ilhistratio7t. 


89 


verted  into  a  railway  train  with  perfect  satisfaction,  and 
probably,  too,  you  have  seen  a  journey  undertaken  with 
a  hobby-horse,  or  a  saw-horse,  accompanied  by  all  the 
enjoyment  and  perplexities  of  a  real  trip.  If  we  take 
advantage  of  this  peculiarity  of  the  child's  mind,  it  will 
be  a  comparatively  easy  task  to  make  good  and  efficient 
use  of  the  blackboard,  although  we  cannot  draw  well. 

As  additional  encouragement  I  will  give  you  a  few 
examples  of  simple  blackboard  work,  taken  from  some 
of  my  lessons. 

Print  Gen.  ix,  13,  in  the  shape  of  a  rainbow  when 
teaching  about  that  sisrn  of  God's  covenant. 


Make  innumerable  dots  to  represent  manna  when 
teaching  about  God  feeding  the  Israelites  in  the  wil- 
derness. 

Draw  a  line  representing  the  journey  of 
the  Israelites  from  Egypt  to  Canaan,  thus: 

When  the  course  of  lessons  was  the  Is- 
raelites' journey  from  Egypt  to  Canaan, 
this  line  was  placed  by  degrees  upon  the 
blackboard  or  slates  of  the  assistant  teachers  until  it 
was  complete.  Very  many  of  the  children  learned  to 
draw  it,  and  at  the  Quarterly  Review  they  were  able 
to  locate   the   different   places  about  which   they   had 


go       Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

learned.  At  that  time  a  red  mark  was  drawn  across 
the  journey  line  to  represent  the  Red  Sea ;  a  little 
green  branch  was  drawn  at  Marah ;  dots  representing 
manna  located  the  Desert  of  Sin.  A  flag  was  drawn 
to  represent  Rephidim,  where  the  Israelites  fought  with 
Amalek  ;  the  two  tables  of  stone  at  Mount  Sinai ;  a 
small  straight  line  to  represent  a  stick  in  Moses'  rod  at 
Kadesh  ;  a  serpent  at  a  point  midway  between  Mount 
Hor  and  Ezion-geber ;  and  a  bunch  of  grapes  at  Mount 
Nebo  to  represent  the  place  from  which  Moses  looked 
over  into  the  Promised  Land  and  saw  that  it  was  a  land 
of  plenty. 

In  teaching  about  the  passover  draw  a  door  and 
frame,  and  put  some  red  marks  on  them  to  represent 
the  blood  which  the  Israelites  were  instructed  to  put 
upon  the  door  posts  and  the  lintel. 

In  teaching  the  significance  of  the  passover  make  a 
cross  thus — 


with  the  motto,  "  Christ  our  passover  is  sacrificed  for  us," 
on  it ;  or,  if  you  prefer  it,  the  figure  of  a  lamb,  with  the 
motto,  "Behold  the  Lamb  of  God,"  as  an  explanation 
of  the  words,  "  Christ  our  passover  is  sacrificed  for  us." 
If  you  cannot  draw  the  lamb  you  can  get  some  one  to 
draw  it  for  you,  or  paste  a  picture  on  the  blackboard. 


Visible  Illustration. 


91 


When  teaching  about  the  mountains  of  blessing  and 
cursing,  Mount  Ebal  and  Mount  Gerizim,  draw  the  out- 
line of  two  mountains  with  a  valley  between.  Make  an 
application  of  the  lesson  by  printing  upon  Mount  Ebal 
the  seven  things  which  the  Lord  hates,  and  upon  Mount 
Gerizim  the  eight  things  which  he  blesses,  thus  : — 


GOD     HATES 


/A  proud 
look. 
,  ^  lying  tongue, 
Killing  hands 
A  wickal  heart. 
A  false  witness. 
An  adulterous  eve 


GOD     BLESSES  : 


To  illustrate  the  lesson  about  the  four  lepers  who  sat 
at  the  gate  of  Samaria  draw  a  square  to  represent  the 
city,  leave  an  open  place  for  the  gate,  and  make  four 
dots  by  the  gate  for  the  lepers. 

In  teaching  how  it  may  be  possible  to  live  right  in 
the  sight  of  God,  tell,  first,  the  story  of  the  widow  whose 
little  pot  of  oil  Elisha  caused  to  increase  until  it  filled 
all  of  the  empty  jars  which  she  had  brought  in  from  her 
neighbors'  houses.  She  then  sold  the  oil  and  paid  her 
debts.  Draw  on  the  blackboard  a  row  of  seven  jars, 
di awing  a  small  heart  above  them.  Then  make  use  of 
them  in  the  following  manner:— Here  is  a  little  jar  for 
each  day  in  the  week.  Tell  me  what  letter  to  put  un- 
der each  line,  S,  M,  T,  W,  T,  F,  S.  [Then  point  to 
the  heart.]      From  that  we  are  to  fill  each  day  [pointing 


92       Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

to  the  jars]  with  goodness.  "  Could  the  widow  fill  her 
empty  jars  with  the  small  quantity  of  oil  which  she  had 
in  her  little  pot }  Do  you  think  you  have  enough  good- 
ness in  your  heart  to  fill  all  of  the  days  .^  "  "Yes."  "Let 
us  think  about  this.  How  many  of  you  have  sometimes 
promised  your  fathers  and  mothers  that  you  would  be 
good  all  day .''  Try  to  remember  now.  In  a  little  while 
were  you  not  doing  wrong  and  feeling  very  sorry  about 
it }  You  surely  did  not  have  enough  goodness  in  your 
heart  to  fill  that  day  }  I  will  make  a  picture  of  all  the 
goodness  you  had.  [Represent  the  jar  about  half  full.] 
If  we  pray  to  God  to  help  us  do  right  he  will  send  his 
Holy  Spirit  into  our  hearts,  and  we  shall  then  be  able 
to  fill  all  of  the  days  full  of  goodness,  for  the  Holy 
Spirit  will  bring  God's  goodness  to  us."  [Represent  all 
the  days  as  full  by  rapid  use  of  the  chalk  on  all  the 
jars.] 

In  teaching  the  lesson  about  David  and  Goliath,  to 
give  an  idea  of  Goliath's  size  draw  on  the  blackboard  a 
shoe  and  a  hand  twice  the  size  of  those  belonging  to  a 
man  of  ordinary  size.  When  telling  about  the  weapons 
which  David  used  in  the  combat  with  Goliath,  show  the 
children  a  sling  cut  of  sheep-skin  of  an  elliptic  shape, 
five  inches  long  and  three  inches  wide,  with  a  coarse 
leather  string,  three  yards  long,  passed  through  holes  at 
each  end.     Show  also  a  stone  to  fit  it. 

I  will  now  give  one  more  illustration  of  simple  black- 
board work  which  can  be  applied  to  many  different  les- 
sons. It  is  a  portion  of  my  lesson  on  Ruth  and  Naomi. 
"  I  wish  we  had  some  large  and  beautiful  pictures  for  our 
lesson  to-day,  but  as  I  could  not  get  them  we  will  ^ pre- 


Visible  Illustration. 


93 


tend'  that  we  have  some,  and  I  will  make  some  frames 
for  them.     [Drawing  the  outlines  below.] 


Three  \vidow8, 
Naomi,  Kuth,  aud 
Orpah,  walking  to- 
gether from  the  land 
of  idols  to  the  land 
where  God  was  wor- 
shiped. 


Naomi  kissing 
Ruth  and  Orpah,  and 
trying  to  get  them 
to  go  back  to  their 
Mends  and  let  her 
go  alone. 


Orpah  tiu-ning  back, 

Ruth  cleaving   to  Naomi, 

saying,  Entreat  me  not  to  leave 

thee  nor  to  return   from 

following  after  thee, 

etc. 


Naomi 

and    Ruth 

coming 

nto 

Bethle- 

hem     all 

the 

people 

looking  with 

wonder 

at  Naomi,  whom  they    | 

had  not 

seen 

for  ten 

years. 

They  came  to  Beth- 
lehem in  the  begin- 
ning of  barley  har- 
vest. Men  were  cut- 
ting and  gathering  it 
into  sh  eaves  and  maid- 
ens were  gleaning. 


The  words  in  the  above  outlines  are  not  to  be  written, 
but  to  be  repeated  by  the  teacher.  The  success  of  the 
method  will  depend  upon  the  ability  of  the  teacher  to 
control  the  imaginative  faculties  of  the  children.  Make 
the  ideal  real ;  point  to  a  place  for  the  persons  and 
things  mentioned.  This  will  give  "  to  airy  nothings  a 
local  habitation  and  a  name." 

The  greater  part  of  the  examples  which  I  have  given 
may  be  used  by  assistant  teachers,  who  will  draw  them 


94       Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

upon  slates  instead  of  the  blackboard.  I  hope  you  will 
see  to  it  that  each  one  of  your  assistants  is  provided 
with  a  slate  as  one  of  the  necessary  equipments. 

It  is  much  the  best  plan  to  do  all  blackboard  work  in 
the  presence  of  the  class,  as  children  take  great  delight 
in  seeing  any  thing  drawn,  and  besides  attention  will 
be  thus  collected  as  I  have  already  intimated.  But  if 
the  drawing  and  printing  cannot  be  done  rapidly  it  had 
better  be  made  before  the  class  comes  together,  and 
kept  covered  up  until  the  time  for  it  to  be  used.  If 
this  is  not  done,  the  illustration  will  be  found,  when  the 
time  comes  for  using  it,  to  be  like  an  uncorked  bottle  of 
perfumery  from  which  all  the  fragrance  has  evaporated. 

Before  closing  this  letter  I  want  to  give  one  caution 
about  the  use  of  the  blackboard.  It  is  altogether  wrong 
to  associate  God's  truth  with  deformity.  It  will  be 
hard  for  a  child  ever  afterward  to  think  of  it  as  beauti- 
ful. I  have  seen  blackboard  work  which  reflected 
ridicule  rather  than  light  upon  a  lesson.  Therefore, 
unless  you  can  draw  well,  or  can  learn  to  draw  well,  I 
would  advise  you  to  get  some  one  to  draw  for  you,  and 
to  attempt  nothing  more  complicated  than  dots  and 
letters  yourself. 

Yours,  in  loving  service,  S.  J.  C. 


The  Culture  of  Benevolence.  95 


X. 

The  Chilture  of  Benevolence.* 

Dear  Teacher  Friend  : — What  do  you  suppose  a 
child  thinks  about  the  money  which  he  brings  to  your 
class  ? 

"  Here,  Johnny,  is  a  cent  to  take  to  Sunday-school," 
says  a  mother  to  her  little  boy. 

As  Johnny  skips  along  he  wonders  what  the  cent  is 
for ;  he  has  never  thought  of  it  before  ;  perhaps  it  is  to 
buy  candy  for  the  teacher,  or  perhaps  it  is  to  pay  for 
getting  in.  Johnny  remembers  that  when  his  papa  took 
him  to  the  circus  he  had  to  pay  for  him  to  get  in.  It 
occurs  to  him  that  he  will  ask  the  teacher  what  the 
money  is  for,  but  there  is  no  chance,  and  so  he  drops 
it  quietly  into  the  collection  box.  The  act  has  less  pur- 
pose in  it  than  if  he  had  thrown  a  leaf  upon  the  stream, 
for  he  would  have  stood  to  watch  what  became  of  that. 
Do  you  and  I  not  know  that  this  aimless  giving  is  what 
to-day  constitutes  in  the  majority  of  primary  classes  the 
culture  of  benevolence  ?  *'  There  is  no  more  benefi- 
cence in  the  transaction  than  there  would_  be  in  drop- 
ping in  so  many  buttons."  Even  worse  than  this  is  the 
plan  I  have  sometimes  seen  carried  out,  by  which  the 
money  brought  by  the  children  is  devoted  to  the  pur- 
chase of  their  own  books  and  papers. 

I  have  heard  that  a  school  which  raised  fifty  dollars 

*  See  also  "  Specimen  Lesson  on  the  Widow's  Mites." 


96      Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

last  year  sent  five  of  them  to  the  mission  work  and  kept 
forty-five  for  their  own  support  ! 

Call  it,  then,  the  culture  of  selfishness,  and  let  no  one 
suppose  that  children  thus  trained  will  be  developed 
into  tlie  generous  Christians  who  would  be  willing 
to  sell  all  that  they  have  and  give  it  to  the  poor,  if  so 
the  word  of  the  Lord  should  come  to  them.  Between 
neglect  at  home  and  indefiniteness  in  the  Sunday- 
school  the  child  is  in  danger  of  growing  up  without 
a  knowledge  of  the  blessedness  of  giving,  and  that 
love  of  the  Father  which  is  promised  to  the  cheerful 
giver. 

Why  should  children  be  taught  to  give  7 

Because  we  have  the  "  Church  of  the  future  "  in  our 
molding  hands  to-day. 

There  are  usually  three  motives  presented  for  Chris- 
tian giving  :  pity,  duty,  and  profit. 

That  higher  purpose  suggested  in  some  Churches  in 
the  use  of  the  expression,  "  Let  us  continue  the  praise 
of  God  by  passing  the  contribution  box,"  is  frequently 
forgotten.  Instead  of  looking  at  the  contribution  box 
in  this  noble  light,  it  is  more  generally  considered  a 
necessary  evil,  "  Something  of  the  world  brought,  from 
dire  necessity,  into  the  Church." 

Should  not  the  worshiper  see  as  much  beauty  in  ex- 
pressing his  thanks  to  God  by  an  offering  as  by  prayer  and 
song  }  "  The  fruit  of  our  lips,  and  the  fruit  of  our  labors, 
are  equally  acceptable  to  God,  else  why  did  he  train 
his  chosen  people  to  give  tithes  of  all  ihey  had,  and  to 
consider  their  worship  incomplete  until  they  had  given 
thank-offerings  7     Let  us  do  our  part  toward  preventing 


TJie  Culture  of  Benevolence.  '  97 

*  The  Church  of  the  future  '  from  having  the  selfish  ideas 
of  Christian  benevolence  entertained  by  the  Church  of 
the  present." 

Children  should  be  taught :  i.  That  God  is  the  owner 
of  all  things.  2.  That  whatever  a  person  has,  God  in- 
trusts to  him  to  keep  a  little  while  until  death,  when  it 
must  be  intrusted  to  some  one  else.  3.  That  we  ought 
to  return  to  God  a  part  of  the  things  intrusted  to  us  ; 
that  a  tenth  is  what  God  asked  his  ancient  people 
to  give  him  4.  That  the  Bible  designates  a  time 
when  God's  dues  should  be  paid — "  the  first  day  of  the 
week." 

Let  the  children  be  made  to  realize  thai,  as  in  the 
day  when  the  widow  cama  with  her  two  mites  to  God's 
treasury,  so  to-day,  Jesus  is  looking  upon  our  gifts. 
They  should  also  be  made  to  realize  Christ's  great  and 
generous  gift  to  them  :  "  Ye  know  the  grace  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  that,  though  he  was  rich,  yet  for  your  sakes 
he  became  poor,  that  ye  through  his  poverty  might  be 
rich." 

"  To  be  a  cheerful  giver  one  must  somehow  know  the 
worth  of  the  thing  given." 

What  means  for  getting  money  shall  be  suggested  to 
the  children,  that  they  may  know  something  about  the 
worth  of  what  they  bestow  .?  A  good  plan  is  to  ask  them 
to  earn  what  they  give  to  God.  But  there  is  an  objec- 
tion to  doing  this,  as  it  sometimes  necessitates  payment 
for  little  services  which  it  is  their  duty  to  render  at 
home  ;  or,  perhaps,  they  are  paid  for  being  good.  My 
ideal  plan  would  be  to  have  the  children  taught  in  the 
home  some  industry  by  which  a  little  money  could  be 


98       Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

made.  But  if  that  does  not  seem  practicable,  perhaps 
the  teacher  might  secure  the  co-operation  of  the  parents 
to  the  degree  that  they  would  give  their  children  a  small 
amount  each  week  to  spend  for  specified  things,  with 
the  understanding  that  a  portion  should  be  given  to  be- 
nevolence. A  wise  use  of  money,  and  Christian  charity, 
would  thus  be  taught  at  the  same  time. 

The  delight  which  a  child  feels  in  contributing  of  his 
earnings  is  illustrated  by  the  following  incident  :  Said  a 
boy,  eight  years  old,  the  other  day,  "  I  have  made  eleven 
cents  by  selling  pins,  shoe  laces,  and  such  little  things. 
Did  you  know  I  have  a  store  in  grandpa's  office .''  "  At 
a  meeting  when  a  collection  was  called  for,  this  little 
fellow  whispered  in  the  ear  of  one  of  the  collectors, 
"Put  me  down  for  two  cents.     I  can  pay  it." 

Another  method  of  teaching  "  the  worth  of  the  thing 
given  "  is  to  explain  to  the  children  beforehand  what  is 
to  be  done  with  the  money,  instead  of  asking  them  in  the 
usual  way  to  give  to  the  "  collection."  Afterward  let  a 
report  be  made  about  the  use  of  the  money.  It  is  well 
to  ask  each  Sabbath,  or  before  taking  the  collection, 
what  is  the  money  for,  which  you  have  brought  to-day  } 
A  regular  statement  by  the  treasurer  is  demanded  by 
adult  givers.  Such  a  statement  made  to  the  children, 
including  an  account  of  what  has  been  done  with  their 
money,  would  not  only  stimulate  them  to  give  more,  but 
would  cultivate  an  interest  in  all  good  works. 

Children  should  be  taught  to  give  with  a  definite  pur- 
pose. In  my  own  judgment  there  are  no  objects  of 
benevolence  so  appropriate  for  them  to  be  trained  in 
supporting   as   those  adopted   by   the  Church,  for  thus 


The  Culture  of  Beiievolence.  99 

they  will  early  become  identified  with  its  interests,  and 
their  hearts  will  be  closely  united  with  it  in  sympathy. 
There  must,  of  course,  be  much  explanation  on  the 
part  of  the  teacher,  so  that  each  cause  presented  will  be 
understood. 

There  is  no  place  so  holy  that  Satan  would  be  abashed 
to  enter,  and  no  grace  is  too  Christ-like  for  him  to  blow 
his  foul  breath  upon.  Why,  he  even  tries  to  make  us 
proud  of  our  humility  !  And  in  some  cases  I  have  seen 
him  use  Sunday-school  teachers  as  instruments  for  train- 
ing children  to  bestow  their  gifts  to  be  seen  of  men. 
The  children  are  told  that  on  next  Sabbath  the  mis- 
sionary concert  will  occur,  and  they  must  bring  their 
offerings — their  pennies  for  the  missionary  cause.  They 
are  exhorted  to  remember  it  by  motives  of  banners, 
medals,  etc.  When  the  time  comes,  and  the  different 
amounts  have  been  collected,  the  Superintendent  an- 
nounces that  class  No.  i,  the  Busy  Buzzers,  have  raised 
the  largest  amount  of  money  this  month,  and  are  entitled 
to  the  banner.  Is  not  this  a  doubtful  way  of  developing 
the  unselfish  feelings  of  the  heart  }  In  sweet  contrast 
to  it  is  the  following  :  A  little  girl,  who  loved  her  Sav- 
iour very  much  for  having  so  loved  her,  came  to  her 
clergyman  with  eighteen  shillings  for  a  missionary  so- 
ciety. 

"  How  did  you  collect  so  much  1  Is  it  all  your  own }  " 
the  clergyman  asked. 

**Yes,  sir;  I  earned  it." 

"  But  how,  Mary — you  are  so  poor  ?  " 

"  Please,  sir,  when  I  thought  how  Jesus  had  died  for 
me,  I  wanted  to  do  something  for  him,  and  I  heard  how 


100     Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

money  was  wanted  to  send  the  good  news  out  to  the 
heathen,  and  as  I  had  no  money  of  my  own,  I  earned 
this  by  collecting  rain-water  and  selling  it  to  washer- 
women for  a  penny  a  bucket.  That  is  how  I  got  the 
money,  sir." 

"  My  dear  child,"  said  the  clergyman,  "  I  am  very 
thankful  that  your  love  to  your  Saviour  has  led  you  to 
work  so  long  and  patiently  for  him  ;  now  I  shall  gladly 
put  down  your  name  as  a  missionary  subscriber." 

"  O  !  no,  sir,  please  ;  not  my  name." 

"  Why  not,  Mary  ?  " 

"  Please,  sir,  I  would  rather  no  one  knew  but  Him  ; 
I  should  like  it  to  be  put  down  as  7'ain  from  heaven  !  " 

The  child  should  be  taught  also  to  give  systematic- 
ally. Benevolence  should  become  to  him  a  habit  rather 
than  a  matter  of  impulse. 

A  noble  example  of  what  a  school  may  do,  which  is 
trained  to  systematic  and  intelligent  giving,  is  that  of  the 
Fourteenth-street  Presbyterian  Church  of  New  York 
City,  Mr.  Frank  A.  Ferris,  Superintendent.  For  the 
last  sixteen  years  it  has  given  an  annual  average  of 
^i,ooo.  Out  of  an  average  attendance  for  one  year  of 
one  hundred  and  forty-seven,  (exclusive  of  a  large  pri- 
mary class,  which  also  contributed  regularly,)  one  hun- 
dred and  forty-four  brought  a  weekly  offering.  These 
donations  were  entirely  for  the  support  of  missions. 

The  record  of  the  amount  of  missionary  money  is  kept 
with  the  same  regularity  as  the  record  of  attendance ; 
indeed,  the  attendance  is  marked  by  the  amount  of  mis- 
sionary money  brought.  A  large  and  durable  envelope, 
containing  a  paper  for  the  list  of  names,  is  provided  for 


TJie  Ctiltiire  of  Benevolence.  loi 

each  class.  Opposite  the  names  are  spaces  for  the  dates 
of  the  Sabbaths  in  one  quarter,  and  a  large  space  for  the 
scholars'  residences.  Each  Sabbath,  when  the  attend- 
ance is  taken,  the  missionary  money  is  collected,  and 
the  amount  which  each  child  has  brought  is  checked  off 
against  his  name.  If  he  has  been  careless  and  forgotten 
his  money,  a  cipher  marks  his  presence.  All  absentees 
are  indicated  by  the  space  being  left  blank.  At  the  foot 
of  the  space  for  each  Sunday  the  amount  of  missionary 
money  is  written,  and  also  the  number  of  absentees. 
The  money  is  then  put  into  the  envelope  with  the  class 
list,  and  laid  aside  to  be  collected  by  the  secretary  at  an 
appropriate  time.  One  excellent  feature  about  Mr.  Fer- 
ris's  system  is  that  there  is  also  a  space  provided  in  the 
class  list  for  the  teacher  to  keep  an  account  of  the  mis- 
sionary money  he  brings.  In  this,  as  in  all  other  things, 
nothing  speaks  more  effectively  than  example. 

Let  us  teach  our  little  pupils  that  "  The  great  privilege 
of  possession  is  the  right  to  bestow." 

Yours,  in  loving  service,  S.  J.  C. 


102    Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 


XI. 

Teaching  Little  Ohildren  to  Sing. 

Dear  Teacher  Friend  : — The  opportunity  for  learn- 
ing new  pieces  in  the  Sunday-school,  which,  in  primary 
classes,  must  always  be  done  by  rote,  is  very  limited. 
The  mothers  in  the  homes  might  greatly  facilitate  the 
work  if  they  would  undertake  to  teach  their  little 
ones  the  sentiments  and  words  of  songs  indicated  by 
the  teacher.  By  this  means  the  children  would  be 
better  prepared  to  understand  what  they  sing  than  by 
the  usual  way.  It  is  to  be  feared  that  parents  and 
teachers  do  not  sufficiently  realize  the  confusion  of 
ideas  in  the  minds  of  children,  resulting  from  a  failure 
to  understand  what  they  sing. 

A  little  child  was  heard  singing  about  his  home, 
"He  taught  me  how  to  wash  and  pray."  Must  he  not 
have  had  a  very  singular  idea  of  Christ's  relation  to 
him } 

In  direct  contrast  to  this  is  the  following  incident 
from  the  revival  in  England:  — 

"  A  milk-boy  on  his  rounds  was  heard  by  a  lady 
(herself  converted  through  one  of  Mr.  Moody's  ad- 
dresses) singing  one  of  Mr.  Sankey's  hymns.  The  lady 
said  to  the  boy,  '  Those  are  very  solemn  words  you 
have  been  singing;  do  you  think  of  them  as  you  sing, 
and  do  you  understand  them  .'*'  Then  such  a  great 
change  came  over  the  boy's  face,  and  he  said,  *  That  I 


Teaching  Little  Children  to  Sifig.  103 

do,  ma'am,  and  I  sing  them  as  I  go  my  rounds,  hoping 
that  just  a  word  or  two  may  fall  into  some  one's  ears.' 
Surely  the  missionary  spirit  in  this  lad  will  be  blessed. 
That  is,  indeed,  '  sowing  seed  in  the  morning  and  in  the 
evening  not  withholding  the  hand.'  Shall  it  not  pros- 
per.? Shall  not  even  this  little  child  of  God  win  jewels 
for  the  Redeemer's  crown  .''  " 

Children  should  be  taught  "  to  sing  with  the  spirit  and 
with  the  understanding."  In  accomplishing  this  some 
simple  illustration,  an  object,  perhaps,  or  a  rough  sketch 
on  the  blackboard,  will  frequently  assist.  By  this  means 
the  sentiment  of  the  hymn  to  be  learned  will  be  im- 
pressed.    For  example,  in  teaching  the  song — 

"  When  children  give  their  hearts  to  God 
'Tis  pleasing  in  his  eyes  ; 
A  flower  when  offered  in  the  bud 
Is  no  vain  sacrifice." 

Let  the  teacher  provide  herself  with  a  full-blown  rose 
and  a  rosebud.  By  questioning,  the  children  may  be 
led  to  tell  that  the  rose  will  soon  fall  to  pieces,  but  that 
the  bud  will  last  some  time,  so  that  we  can  enjoy  its 
sweetness  much  longer.  Then  the  heart  of  childhood 
may  be  compared  to  the  bud,  and  the  heart  in  old  age  to 
the  rose.  God  wants  us  to  give  him  our  hearts.  When 
shall  we  do  it — when  they  are  like  the  bud  or  like  the 
rose .?  Surely  while  we  are  young,  so  that  he  may  long 
have  our  love  and  service. 

In  teaching  "  Jewels,"  we  may  ask,  "  What  do  we  call 
persons  who  wear  crowns  }  "  Let  us  see  what  a  crown 
looks  like.  [The  teacher  draws  one  or  shows  a  pict- 
ure.]    What  are  set  in  the  crown  to  sparkle }     [Show 


104     Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

rings  containing  jewels.]  I  know  of  a  King  who  wants 
different  jewels  for  his  crown  : — 

"  Little  children,  little  children 
"Who  love  their  Redeemer 
Are  the  jewels,"  etc. 

Who  is  this  King  ?  Jewels  shine,  so  shall  those  whom 
Jesus  gathers  for  his  crown. 

"  Like  the  stars  of  the  morning. 
His  bright  crown  adorning, 
They  shall  shine  in  their  beauty, 
Bright  gems  for  his  crown." 

When  will  Jesus  gather  his  jewels.^  "When  he  Com- 
eth, when  he  cometh."  Yes,  Jesus  is  coming  again  some 
day.  May  you  all  be  his,  dear  children,  "  in  that  day 
when  he  comes  to  make  up  his  jewels!  " 

In  this  connection  it  might  not  be  inappropriate  to 
give  a  few  thoughts  about  the  character  of  the  songs  or 
hymns  which  children  should  sing,  and  the  manner  of 
singing  them.  You  probably  think  as  we  do,  that  a  good 
primary-class  song  should  contain  Gospel  truth  instead 
of  pretty  jingle.  Simple  and  silly  are  two  qualities 
which  get  strangely  confused  in  the  minds  of  those  who 
write  for  little  children.  The  compass  should  not  be 
high;  Dr.  Tourjee  says  "never  above  E  flat."  A 
strain  upon  young  voices  renders  singing  any  thing  but 
a  pleasure,  also  destroying  all  musical  effect.  Dr.  T. 
suggests  also  that  a  lady  should  lead  children  in  sing- 
ing, because  her  tones  will  give  the  proper  pitch ;  a 
gentleman's  voice,  even  when  singing  soprano,  usually 
being  pitched  one  octave  lower  than  the  children  should 
sing. 


Teaching  Little  Children  to  Sing.  105 

The  song  should  be  cheerful  both  in  the  spirit  of  the 
words  and  in  the  music.  I  cannot  soon  forget  the  dole- 
ful impression  made  upon  me  by  hearing  a  large  class 
of  happy-hearted  little  children  singing  in  Sunday- 
school,  "I'm  a  child  of  sin  and  wdt."  It  was  like  a 
whip-poor-will's  note  in  the  throat  of  a  chirping  wren. 

Whenever  it  is  possible  the  primary-class  song  should 
be  accompanied  by  motions.  The  change  of  position 
which  children  require  is  thus  provided  for,  and  the 
consequent  stirring  is  in  order,  rather  than  a  matter  in- 
viting reproof.  And  then,  you  know,  it  is  an  old  estab- 
lished rule,  that  "  the  more  senses  employed,  the  clearer 
will  be  the  child's  idea."  So  when  the  children  are 
permitted  to  exercise  in  motions  what  they  are  singing, 
they  will  feel  and  know  more  deeply  what  they  sing ;  for 
example,  if  they  sing  about  the  breath,  which  God  sends 
them,  let  them  place  their  hands  where  they  can  feel 
that  breath ;  if  they  sing  about  their  hearts,  which  God 
keeps  in  motion,  let  them  place  their  hands  where  they 
can  feel  the  beating  of  their  hearts ;  if  they  sing  about 
the  snow,  let  their  hands  represent  the  snow-flakes,  and 
teach  them  to  imitate  the  falling  of  the  snow;  if  they 
sing  of  the  rain,  teach  them  to  imitate  its  pattering,  by 
tapping  with  their  finger  tips  upon  a  hard  surface. 

And  now  as  to  the  manner  of  singing.  A  good  order 
to  observe  in  teaching  a  new  song  is,  i.  To  gain  the 
children's  interest  in  it  by  singing  it  yourself,  or  getting 
some  one  to  sing  it  for  you.  2.  To  hold  a  conversation 
with  the  children  about  its  sentiments.  3.  To  sing  one 
line  alone,  then  repeat  it  immediately  with  the  children 
accompanying,  and   after  a  few  lines    have   been  thus 


io6     Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

learned,  to  sing  them  through  together.     4.  To  encour- 
age the  children  to  sing  without  the  teacher's  help. 

Teach  them  to  sing  conscientiously,  since  only  the 
best  of  any  thing  is  fit  to  be  offered  to  God.  Many- 
times  this  worshipful  element  is  entirely  left  out;  and 
if  children  think  at  all  why  they  sing  they  conclude 
that  it  is  to  please  either  the  teacher  or  themselves.  It 
would  be  well  to  keep  the  idea  of  praise  to  God  con- 
tinually before  them  by  such  reminders  as  the  following, 
when  the  music  is  not  going  well :  God  likes  you  to 
think  about  what  you  are  singing:  I  believe  that  God 
likes  gentle,  sweet  sounds,  rather  than  such  loud,  harsh 
ones :  God  does  not  like  a  lazy  way  of  doing  things  for 
him,  so  you  must  sing  a  little  quicker:  God's  little 
birds  make  more  music  than  you  do ;  certainly  you  can 
sing  as  well  for  him  as  they.  Sometimes  this  worship- 
ful element  is  lost  sight  of  in  the  endeavor  to  please 
visitors  and  friends,  who  always  delight  to  hear  the 
children  sing ;  or  the  purpose  may  be  forgotten  in  too 
frequent  singing.  We  are  told  to  "  pray  without  ceas- 
ing," but  a  primary  class  cannot  sing  without  ceasing, 
as  is  sometimes  the  case,  without  degenerating  into  an 
exhibition  singing  school. 

Children  should  sit  or  stand  well  when  they  sing. 
They  should  be  told  that  their  lungs  are  somewhat 
like  sponges,  and  that  when  they  sit  or  stand  bent  up 
their  lungs  are  so  crushed  together  that  they  cannot 
"  sing  best  for  God."  They  should  sing  with  a  quick 
utterance,  thus  avoiding  the  miserable  habit  of  dragging. 
Tell  them  to  make  their  voices  skip  when  they  sing ; 
by  this  a  jerky  manner  is  not  meant.     They  should  be 


Teaching  Little  CJdldren  to  Sing.  107 

in  a  cheerful  mood.  "  I'm  saddest  when  I  sing,"  is  not 
a  desirable  condition  for  children,  at  least ;  neither 
have  we  much  sympathy  with  the  sentiment,  "  Birds 
that  wont  sing  must  be  made  to  sing."  It  is  promotive 
of  the  cheerful  mood  to  give  the  children  a  choice  of 
what  they  will  sing.  This  could  not  be  recommended 
as  an  invariable  rule,  for  while  they  may  be  happiest  in 
singing  what  they  like  best,  the  selections  might  not  be 
best  adapted  to  the  occasion.* 

Yours,  in  loving  service,  S.  J.  C. 

*  I  suppose  that,  like  myself,  you  have  felt  the  lack  of  a  suffi- 
cient number  of  appropriate  songs  to  teach  to  the  little  ones. 
Very  few  are  to  be  found  in  any  one  book  of  music,  not  enough  to 
supply  all  that  would  be  required  in  a  class  or  in  a  home.  In  con- 
junction with  Miss  Jenny  B.  Merrill,  I  have  prepared  a  singing  book 
for  the  Primaiy  Class  and  the  home.  It  contains  about  one  hundred 
and  ninety  pieces,  partly  original,  and  the  remainder  "  winnowed  " 
from  a  large  number  of  singing  books.  It  is  called,  "  Songs  for  Lit- 
tle Folks,"  and  is  published  by  Biglow  &  Main,  76  East  Ninth- 
street,  New  York  city.     Price,  25  cents. 


o8    Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 


XII. 

The  Teacher's  Social  Work. 

Dear  Teacher  Friend  : — Doubtless  you  have  some- 
times felt  the  pain  of  being  unrecognized  when  your 
heart  has  gushed  forth  in  friendly  greeting,  even  though 
a  personal  slight  was  not  intended.  Dislike,  however, 
would  have  been  hardly  less  complimentary  than  the  in- 
difference which  caused  forgetfulness.  We  must  know, 
then,  how  to  pity  our  little  pupils  when  we  meet  them  on 
the  street  or  elsewhere,  and,  in  answer  to  their  smiling 
gladness  at  seeing  us,  ask  the  cold  question,  "  What  is 
your  name  ?  "  Perhaps  when  the  name  is  spoken  it 
does  not  bring  back  any  memory  of  the  child.  It  seems 
to  me  the  first  and  most  important  part  of  the  teacher's 
social  work  is  to  learn  the  names  of  her  pupils.  You 
say  you  have  a  large  class  of  three  hundred  children, 
and  meeting  them,  as  you  do,  for  an  hour  each  week, 
you  have  no  opportunity  to  learn  their  names  and  faces. 
Would  it  not  be  well  to  set  yourself  the  task  of  learning 
at  least  six  names  each  Sabbath  ? 

The  teacher's  social  work  does  not  consist  alone  in 
learning  names,  but  in  learning  the  characters  of  chil- 
dren as  well.  Attempting  to  teach  a  child  without 
knowing  his  temptations  and  surroundings  is  somewhat 
like  a  game  at  blind-man's-buff,  the  teacher  having  the 
bandage  over  her  eyes.  Unlike  that,  it  is  not  an  inno- 
cent game,  but  an  almost  hopeless  struggle  to  find  souls. 


The  Teacher's  Social  Work,  109 

No  teacher  should  assume  the  guardianship  of  souls 
without  a  willingness  to  seek  their  needs  and  supply 
the  requisite  help.  No  one  would  do  less  in  the  care 
of  a  body  ;  why  should  they  do  less  in  the  care  of  a 
soul  ?  One  hour  on  the  Sabbath  will  not  suffice  to  do 
full  duty.  A  faithful  teacher  will  find  that  hour  to  be 
the  smallest  part  of  the  work.  A  devoted  primary 
teacher  once  told  me  that  she  made  on  an  average  thirty 
calls  a  week  on  as  many  members  of  her  class.  And 
this  she  did  although  a  faithful  housekeeper,  and  the 
busy  mother  of  three  little  children. 

Two  absent  marks  against  a  name  should  indicate 
that  a  visit  ought  to  be  made  at  once.  Even  then, 
sometimes  the  death  angel  will  have  made  the  visit 
before  the  teacher.  One  day  a  teacher's  class  was  small, 
and  in  looking  over  the  names  of  her  pupils  she  came 
to  one  with  six  marks  against  her  name.  "Ungrateful 
child  !  when  I  do  so  much  to  make  it  pleasant  for  her," 
was  the  remark  made.  Alas  !  she  did  not  know  (being 
so  neglectful  of  duty)  that  for  four  long  weeks  the  sod 
had  covered  the  face  of  that  pupil. 

A  faithful  superintendent  is  in  the  habit  of  placing 
the  following  blank  in  his  teachers'  class  books  where 
he  discovers  there  are  absentees: — 

SCATTERGOOD    S.    S.    187    . 

M 

residence 


has  been  absent  from  your  class weeks.     Have 

you  done  all  you  can  and  ought  for  this  scholar  ?  Will  you  lose  this 
one  from  your  class  ?  Please  report  on  this  card  reason  of  absence, 
whether  you  have  visited,  and  what  you  recommend  to  be  done. 

H.  C.  H.,  vSuperintendent. 


no    Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

But  the  teacher  should  not  visit  like  a  physician; 
there  should  be  calls  made  just  to  carry  sunshine  when 
the  children  are  well.  Yes,  to  carry  sunshine  and  to 
get  it  also,  for  in  the  joy  of  such  loving  service  one  will 
find  himself  not  the  giver  only,  but  the  receiver  as  well. 
In  a  certain  district  where  I  was  accustomed  to  visit,  it 
was  usual  for  the  children  to  follow  me  from  one  house 
to  the  other.  Sometimes  this  increasing  force  numbered 
as  high  as  fifteen,  all  laughing  for  very  delight.  Surely 
such  an  experience  was  abundant  reward  for  my  efforts. 

If  you  have  not  become  used  to  this  pastoral  calling 
you  will  wonder  what  to  do  when  you  enter  a  home. 
Ask  for  the  mother  as  well  as  the  child,  (the  child  will 
probably  have  little  or  nothing  to  say  and  act  very  shy  ;) 
notice  the  baby  if  there  is  one  ;  ask  your  little  pupil 
to  let  you  see  her  box  of  treasures,  (among  which  you 
will  find  many  of  your  own  gifts  of  cards,  papers,  etc. ;) 
invite  the  mother  to  visit  the  class,  and  leave  a  gift  for 
your  little  friend — a  bit  of  candy,  a  picture  card,  or  some 
trifle.  If  the  child  should  not  be  at  home,  after  a  brief 
call  with  the  mother  leave  your  card.  I  have  seen  my 
card  that  had  thus  been  left  brought  to  the  class  and 
exhibited  with  great  satisfaction,  although  in  a  crumpled 
and  soiled  condition.  It  is  as  important  that  the  chil- 
dren be  invited  to  the  teacher's  home,  as  that  they  shall 
be  visited  in  their  own  homes.  I  never  enjoyed  a 
thanksgiving  story  more  than  one  which  appeared  in 
the  Sunday-School  Tinies^  about  a  teacher's  thanksgiving 
dinner  to  the  boys  of  her  Sunday-school  class.  If  the 
class  should  be  too  large  to  invite  to  tea,  or  a  thanks- 
giving dinner,  or  at   any  one  time,  it   would  be  found 


The  TeacJicr 's  Social   I Vo?'k.  ill 

very  convenient  to  have  a  "  children's  hour  "  each  week, 
perhaps  from  three  to  four  on  Saturday  afternoon,  when 
the  children  would  be  free  to  call  upon  their  teacher 
and  find  pleasant  entertainment  in  looking  at  pictures, 
listening  to  music  and  stories,  the  interview  to  be 
closed  by  prayer. 

In  carrying  out  your  social  work  as  a  teacher,  I  won- 
der if  you  have  ever  tried  bird-parties,  grape-parties, 
orange-parties,  etc.  The  plan  was  suggested  to  me  by 
Mr.  Moody  when  teaching  the  Primary  Class  in  his 
Sunday-school.  Some  of  the  children  came  from  mis- 
erable homes,  and  it  was  desirable  to  put  some  cheer 
into  their  lives,  which  they  could  not  have  gained  in 
any  other  way.  These  gatherings  were  held  in  the 
basement  of  the  church  on  Saturday  mornings.  Since 
then  I  have  held  one  in  my  own  house,  which  I  will 
describe  to  you.  The  ''  bird  party  "  was  announced 
from  the  pulpit,  so  that  the  mothers  would  understand 
that  the  little  people  were  wanted  at  the  parsonage.  It 
was  the  event  of  the  week  to  which  the  children  looked 
forward  from  Monday  until  Saturday.  They  came 
promptly  at  the  hour  appointed,  each  bringing  a  little 
bunch  of  flowers  to  decorate  the  church  on  the  follow- 
ing Sunday,  as  all  the  classes  were  accustomed  to  do  in 
turn.  A  number  of  stuffed  birds  had  been  procured, 
which,  together  with  the  skeleton  of  a  bird,  formed  inter- 
esting material  for  a  little  talk  by  the  teacher,  who  tried 
to  impress  upon  the  children  many  lessons  about  God's 
goodness  to  "the  fowls  of  the  air."  Then  each  child 
was  given  a  chromo  of  one  of  the  birds ;  all  of  which 
were  birds  of  the   Bible.     The  chromos  came  in  pack- 


112    Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

ages  of  twelve,  and  cost  only  fifty  cents  per  dozen.  An 
hour  was  spent  in  play,  and  the  children  went  home 
with  loving  thoughts  of  God,  after  such  bright  glances 
at  his  handiwork. 

It  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  I  should  write  such  a 
long  letter  on  so  social  a  subject,  and  I  shall  be  quite 
satisfied  if  you  receive  as  much  pleasure  and  profit  from 
reading  the  letter  as  I  have  had  in  writing  it. 

Yours,  in  loving  service,  S.  J.  C 


The  Home  and  the  Class.  113 


XIII. 

The  Home  and  the  Glass. 

Dear  Teacher  Friend  : — A  song  that  I  used  to  sing 
in  childhood  floats  through  my  memory  this  morning. 
The  school  children  sang  in  chorus,  "  ech — o,  ech — o," 
and  in  a  distant  room,  a  single  sweet  voice  repeated, 
"ech — o,  ech — o."  From  childhood  until  the  present 
time,  I  have  delighted  to  call  out  among  the  hills,  and 
receive  an  answer  from  that  mysterious  being  which 
fancy  always  pictures  as  very  large  and  very  saucy,  so 
ready  is  he  to  pick  up  your  slightest  word  and  "mock 
you  "  as  the  children  say. 

As  a  teacher  there  are  yet  other  echoes  for  which  I 
listen — listen  with  deep  earnestness  of  soul.  They  come 
to  me  from  the  lips  of  parents,  and  they  sound  some- 
what like  the  following  :  "  Every  day  during  the  week 
Annie  told  us  something  new  about  the  lesson  of  last 
Sunday;  it  seemed  to  be  in  her  thoughts  continually." 
If  parents  only  realize  how  grateful  such  words  are  to 
the  teacher  they  would  speak  them  oftener  ;  they  would 
be  in  the  habit  of  doing  it. 

There  is  the  closest  possible  relation  existing  be- 
tween the  home  and  the  class,  and  yet,  more  frequently 
than  otherwise,  they  are  not  on  "  visiting  terms."  How 
many  of  the  parents  of  your  little  pupils  have  you  ever 
welcomed  to  your  class  room  ?  We  should  not,  how- 
ever,  be   ready  to   give   them   full   measure  of  censure 


114     Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

that  we  have  seen  so  few  of  them,  for  we  feel  if  we  had  in- 
vited them  directly  more  of  them  would  have  come.  We 
should  not  be  willing  to  assume  that  their  absence  had 
been  caused  wholly  by  indifference,  but  rather  let  it  be 
set  down  as  an  invariable  rule  that  teachers  can  interest 
and  enlist  the  parents  as  their  helpers.  It  would  seem 
perfectly  proper  to  arrange  a  definite  time  for  the  visit, 
just  as  any  other  invitation  is  extended.  This  could  be 
done  while  the  teacher  was  on  the  round  of  "  pastoral 
calling  "  mentioned  in  a  preceding  letter.  An  occa- 
sional visit  to  the  class  will  acquaint  parents  with  the 
teacher's  methods,  and  they  will  thus  be  enabled  to 
supplement  the  work  of  the  Sunday-school  in  the  home. 
I  do  not  know  what  your  preference  is,  but  in  my  own 
judgment,  so  far  as  young  children  are  concerned,  it  is 
better  to  have  parents  follow  up  the  lesson  given  in 
the  class  than  to  take  up  the  new  lesson.  In  general 
this  would  be  the  most  interesting  thing  for  parents  to 
'do.  It  is  usually  less  discouraging  to  listen  to  a  child 
tell  you  what  he  knows,  than  to  try  to  interest  him  in 
something  which  he  knows  nothing  about.  As  far  as  the 
child  is  concerned  it  is  certainly  well  that  he  should  be 
thus  made  to  feel  a  responsibility  about  remembering  the 
lesson.  The  very  effort  which  he  must  make  to  recall 
and  repeat  it  will  make  it  indelible  upon  his  memory. 
Not  only  can  the  parent  thus  help  his  child  to  recall  his 
lesson,  but  there  is  a  still  nobler  work  to  be  done  during 
the  week  in  helping  the  child  to  live  the  lesson  which  he 
learned  on  Sunday.  It  would  neither  be  possible  nor 
desirable  for  the  parents  to  visit  the  class  every  Sab- 
bath, and  so  it  would  be  well  to  send  occasional  notes 


The  Home  and  the  Class.  1 15 

or   suggestions    to    them    to    retain    them    as    constant 
helpers. 

You  see  it  is  a  fixed  principle  with  me  that  a  teacher 
cannot  do  without  the  help  of  the  home,  either  for  its 
encouraging  results  upon  himself,  or  the  efficiency  of 
its  teachings  upon  his  pupils. 

By  this  co-operation  of  the  home  and  class  a  teach- 
er's efforts  are  multiplied  many  times ;  they  are  in- 
creased in  tenderness  and  force  by  the  peculiar  love  of 
a  parent's  heart ;  they  are  made  more  direct,  because 
applied  to  daily  life. 

Only  when  the  home  and  the  school  thus  work  to- 
gether is  the  highest  and  truest  aim  of  the  Sunday- 
school  reached. 

Perhaps  you  think  in  all  these  suggestions  I  have  for- 
gotten you  as  a  mission-school  teacher,  where  there  is 
not  only  indifference  in  the  homes  represented,  but  vice 
and  crime  as  well.  Still  I  would  say.  You  will  do  well 
to  enlist  the  parents  ;  this  may  be  the  lever  to  raise  them 
out  of  degradation  into  godliness.  Do  not  at  least  de- 
spair if  you  cannot  gain  their  interest :  your  influence 
will  extend  far  into  the  wretched  life  of  the  children  ; 
it  will  not  be  wholly  lost,  even  if  they  are  with  you  but 
one  half  hour  out  of  one  hundred  and  sixty-eight  ;  for 
proof  of  this  consider  the  beautiful  songs  they  re- 
member from  Sunday  to  Sunday.  I  have  sometimes 
marveled  at  this,  particularly  when  they  were  learning 
a  new  song  without  seeing  either  the  words  or  the  music. 
Your  influence  will  remain  with  them  even  as  does  the 
song. 

Yours,  in  loving  service,  S.  J.  C. 


ii6    Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 


"  Suffer  little  children,  and  forbid  them  not,  to  come  unto  me  ;  for 
of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven." 

"  O  satisfy  us  early  with  thy  mercy  ;  that  we  may  rejoice  and  be 
glad  all  our  days." 

"  Remember  now  thy  Creator  in  the  days  of  thy  youth,  while  the 
evil  days  come  not." 

"  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  Whosoever  shall  not  receive  the  kingdom 
of  God  as  a  little  child,  he  shall  not  enter  therein." 

"  Samuel  ministered  before  the  Lord,  being  a  child." 

"  O  Lord  God  :  thou  art  my  trust  from  my  youth." 

"  While  he  was  yet  young,  he  (Josiah)  began  to  seek  after  the  God 
of  David  his  father." 

"  All  thy  children  shall  be  taught  of  the  Lord  ;  and  great  shall  be 
the  peace  of  thy  children." — The  Scriptures. 

"  I  have  seen  as  manifest  evidence  of  the  new  birth  in  children  of 
eight  years  of  age,  as  I  have  ever  seen  in  any  adult." — Dr.  Tyng,  Sr. 

"  As  early  in  a  child's  life  as  possible,  teach  him  implicit  trust  in 
Christ,  and  the  full  consecration  of  his  little  life  with  all  its  possibili- 
ties to  Christ."— Rev.  J.  H.  Vincent,  D.D. 


The  Teacher's  Spiritual  Work.  wj 


XIV. 

The  Teacher's  Spiritual  Work. 

Dear  Teacher  Friend  : — In  one  of  my  first  letters  to 
you  I  named,  as  a  necessary  quality  for  the  primary 
teacher,  faith  in  child  piety.  That  faith  inspires  the 
teacher  with  an  earnest  purpose  which  excludes  all 
trifling,  such  as  teaching  for  a  reputation,  or  seeking  to 
amuse  children  because  they  are  thought  too  young  to 
learn  truth  ;  or  striving  to  educate  them  to  a  point  where 
they  will  become  Christians.  We  should  crave,  more  than 
any  thing  else  in  the  way  of  reputation,  to  have  it  known 
of  us  in  heaven  that  we  have  brought  many  little  ones 
to  Jesus.  I  love  my  work  so  much  that  I  often  find 
myself  hoping  that  there  may  be  little  ones  to  teach 
in  heaven,  and  that  I  may  have  a  part  of  it  to  do. 

"  Too  young  to  learn  truth  !  "  No  one  could  say  so  if 
he  could  hear  the  demure  little  four-year-old  Mamie, 
who  comes  to  my  class  and  says  never  a  word,  but  goes 
home  and  tells  the  whole  lesson  to  her  mamma;  or  if 
he  could  hear  the  little  curly-headed,  bright-faced 
Allie,  two  years  and  a  half  old,  lisping  about  the 
Sunday-school  to  her  nurse  all  through  the  week. 

"  But  the  question  might  be  asked,  How  are  you  go- 
ing to  let  these  little  children  know  all  the  great  truths 
of  religion  .?  We  are  not  going  to  let  them  understand 
all  the  great  truths  of  religion,  only  one  or  two.  The 
smallest   child  knows   there   is   a   God.      Atheism   was 


n8    Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

never  born  in  any  human  being.  A  man  must  work 
very  hard  to  grind  himself  down  to  an  atheist.  All  that 
is  needed  for  salvation  is  to  know  God  and  believe  in 
him.  The  smallest  child  can  understand  God,  and  love 
him  for  his  love."  * 

A  teacher  should  realize  the  value  of  a  child's  soul. 
The  child's  body  may  be  a  wee  thing,  as  it  were  a  drop 
of  water;  but  his  soul,  it  is  vaster  than  the  ocean.  The 
souls,  they  are  committed  to  our  care  !  O  that  I  could 
write  these  words  in  flame  !  Each  Sabbath,  as  we  come 
from  our  classes,  let  us  ask  ourselves  the  question.  Have 
I  done  any  think  for  souls  to-day  ?  Souls,  the  crowning 
work  of  God's  creation,  set  over  all  the  works  of  his 
hands;  souls,  whose  value  is  the  ransom  price,  the  pre- 
cious blood  of  Christ ;  souls  that  can  be  measured,  in 
their  height,  depth,  length,  and  breadth,  only  by  the 
cross;  souls  that  have  an  eternity  to  spend  somewhere, 
either  among  the  saints  in  glory,  or  in  the  "  prison  house 
of  the  lost." 

A  teacher  should  also  study  the  religious  possibilities 
of  the  child.  "  It  is  as  possible  to  play  like  a  Christian 
as  it  is  to  trade  like  a  Christian."  And  I  doubt  not  that 
children  can  be  brought  to  exercise  as  much  grace  in  their 
sphere  as  men  and  women  do  in  theirs.  Little  Dannie 
had  been  taught  by  his  mamma  that  when  he  wanted  to 
do  wrong  the  wicked  spirit  was  in  him,  and  that  he 
must  try  to  get  it  out  before  he  was  naughty.  I  can  re- 
member seeing  the  little  fellow,  when  only  three  years 
old,  coming  to  his  mother,  and  saying  with  a  look  almost 
of  alarm,  "  Ze  wicket  spirit  is  in  Dannie,  for  he  'ants  to 
*  Dr.  Howard  Crosby. 


The  Teacher 's  Spiritual   Work.  1 1 9 

hurt  his  little  sister."  I  have  a  theory  that  as  soon  as  a 
child  is  thus  able  to  recognize  wrong  he  has  a  corre- 
sponding power  to  recognize  good,  and  that  he  may  be 
taught  to  avoid  one  and  cling  to  the  other.  Perhaps  it 
would  be  well  to  quote  what  the  children  themselves 
say  about  their  Christian  duty. 

I  was  once  talking  in  a  children's  meeting  to  about 
two  hundred  children  between  the  ages  of  five  and  fif- 
teen. The  subject  was  prayer.  I  asked,  How  old  do 
you  think  children  ought  to  be  before  they 'begin  to 
pray  .'  The  answers  were  as  follows  :  "  As  soon  as  they 
can  speak  ;  "  "As  soon  as  they  can  understand  ;  "  "  One 
and  a  half  years  old  ;  "  "  Two  years  old ;  "  "  Three  years 
old."  Then  followed  another  question  :  How  old  do  you 
think  children  ought  to  be  before  they  begin  to  pray  in 
prayer-meeting .?  "  Five  years  old ;  "  "  Six  ;  "  "  Ten  ;  " 
"  Twelve."  (No  one  said.  Not  until  they  are  grown  up.) 
How  many  of  you  are  willing  to  pray  in  this  prayer- 
meeting.?  There  was  a  look  of  willingness  on  many 
faces  ;  two  little  girls  aged  six  and  eight  years,  and  a 
boy  of  twelve,  raised  their  hands.  The  boy  made  one 
of  the  most  beautiful  prayers  I  have  ever  listened  to, 
full  of  simple  trust.  After  the  meeting,  I  asked  him 
how  long  he  had  been  a  Christian.  "  Ever  since  I  can 
remember,"  he  replied,  with  a  radiant  smile. 

Would  any  one  be  disposed  to  doubt  such  a  state- 
ment 1  Yes,  I  fear  some  persons  would.  Those  who 
think  that  a  conversion  must  be  like  the  breaking  up  of 
the  great  deep  would  be  apt  to  deny  a  child's  conver- 
sion, either  on  the  ground  that  he  had  not  enough  sin 
to  mourn  deeply  for,  or  that  it  would  be  impossible  for 


120      Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

him  to  live  a  consistent  Christian  life  because  much  of 
his  time  would  of  necessity  be  given  up  to  play.  "  He 
slides  down  hill  just  like  other  boys,"  was  a  criticism 
made  upon  a  child  Christian  by  such  a  person.  Paul 
and  Silas,  delivered  from  prison  by  an  earthquake,  and 
Peter,  delivered  at  Philippi  silently  by  the  angel  of  the 
Lord,  represent  two  types  of  conversion. 

The  child's  regeneration,  although  less  marked  and 
sudden  than  is  usual  with  adults,  will  be  made  as  clear- 
ly manifest  by  yielding  the  fruit  of  the  Spirit,  (Gal.  v, 
22,  23,)  under  proper  Christian  culture. 

In  a  day-school  of  fifty  little  children  between  the 
ages  of  four  and  six  years  an  occasional  morning  prayer- 
meeting,  lasting  for  about  half  an  hour,  was  well  sus- 
tained by  the  little  people.  At  first  they  needed  my  help 
to  frame  original  prayers,  but  at  last  they  became  inde- 
pendent of  this  help,  save  a  conversation  which  we  al- 
ways held  previous  to  the  season  of  prayer,  when  I  tried 
to  bring  to  their  remembrance  God's  gifts  and  blessings 
and  their  needs.  At  first  only  one  child  was  willing  to 
make  an  audible  prayer.  Before  many  weeks  had 
passed  it  was  an  exception  for  a  child  not  to  be  willing 
to  do  so.  They  did  not  seem  to  be  embarrassed  by  the 
presence  of  adult  visitors. 

Mr.  Crafts  delights  to  recall  his  experience  with 
Christian  children  in  H ,  where  in  children's  meet- 
ings at  least  twenty  would  offer  prayer,  some  uttering 
only  a  sentence  or  two  without  any  formal  introduction 
or  closing,  and  others  making  a  longer  prayer.  At 
some  meetings  there  would  be  thirty  or  forty  tes- 
timonies in   addition   to  prayers.     From  that   band   of 


The  Teacher's  Spiritual   Work.  12 1 

little  people  there  were  constant  additions  to  tlie 
Church. 

Dr.  Crosby  says  :  "  We  must  have  faith  in  the  conver- 
sion of  little  children.  We  must  not  expect  too  much 
of  them.  We  must  not  expect  them  to  be  like  Paul, 
or  Peter,  or  Apollos.  We  must  not  be  too  exacting 
with  them,  or  expect  gigantic  faith,  or  gigantic  intel- 
lect, or  gigantic  piety.  I  have  always  taken  little 
children  into  the  Church  of  which  I  am  pastor,  and  have 
never  regretted  it.  No,  for  they  have  all  proved  faith- 
ful ;  and  where  many  who  came  into  the  Church  older 
have  been  entirely  lost  to  it,  we  know  where  to  find 
every  one  who  came  in  in  childhood." 

Rev.  Julius  Field  gives  similar  testimony  :  "  From  the 
long  experience  of  over  half  a  century  in  the  ministry, 
I  have  found  in  the  Church  no  class  of  members  which 
possessed  such  deep,  uniform  piety,  stability  of  Christian 
character,  and  perseverance,  and  of  whom  I  could  re- 
port so  favorably,  as  those  converted  in  childhood." 

Having  written  so  much  about  the  teacher's  aim,  it  is 
fitting  that  the  remainder  of  my  letter  should  be  devoted 
to  the  teacher's  methods.  You  have  seen  the  Catholic 
devotee  praying  with  the  rosary.  Has  it  not  occurred 
to  you  that  every  Sunday-school  teacher  should  have  a 
rosary  }  Not  one  of  beads,  but  one  composed  of  the 
names  of  scholars.  Such  a  one  I  made  on  the  fly-leaf 
of  my  Bible ;  those  names  were  one  by  one  spoken  in 
prayer,  that  I  might  be  the  means  of  leading  each  soul 
to  Christ. 

There  should  be  a  spiritual  application  of  each  lesson. 
A  few  years  ago  I  met,  on  a  steamer  going  through  the 


122     Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

lakes,  a  lovely  Christian  teacher,  who  said  to  me,  "  I  am 
never  satisfied  to  teach  a  lesson  without  bringing  Christ 
into  it."  Although  I  then  made  no  dissenting  reply,  I 
thought  that  such  a  course  would  sometimes  be  exceed- 
ingly inappropriate  ;  but  the  longer  I  teach,  I  find  my- 
self very  strongly  of  the  opinion  that  I  do  not  want  to 
give  lessons  in  which  it  is  not  appropriate  to  teach 
Christ.  It  has  been  very  beautifully  said  that  "  Jesus  is 
the  thought  which,  like  a  scarlet  thread,  binds  together 
all  the  books  of  the  Bible."  I  am  persuaded  that  every 
lesson  which  a  teacher  gives  should  be  fastened  upon 
that  scarlet  thread, 

"  All  growing  that  is  not  toward  God 
Is  growing  to  decay.     All  increase  gained 
Is  but  an  ugly,  earthy  fungus  growth  ; 
'Tis  aspiration  as  that  wick  aspires 
Towering  above  the  light  it  overcomes, 
But  ever  sinking  with  the  dying  flame." 

There  should  be  a  weekly  prayer-meeting  for  chil- 
dren. This  point  has  already  received  much  attention 
in  my  letter,  therefore  I  will  only  add,  in  case  such  a 
meeting  is  not  provided  by  the  Church,  each  teacher 
should  feel  the  responsibility  so  far  as  his  class  is  con- 
cerned. 

If  space  allowed  I  should  like  to  give  you  an  account 
of  my  experience  in  teaching  children  to  pray,  but  I  can 
only  refer  you  to  the  lesson  in  the  concert  on  prayer. 

Children  should  be  taught  to  pray  both  morning  and 
evening  in  their  homes.  While  nearly  all  children  are 
accustomed  to  pray  in  the  evening,  very  many  have  no 
habits  of  morning  prayer. 


The  Teacher's  Spiritual  Work.  123 

Of  the  two,  it  would  seem  that  the  morning  prayer  is 
the  more  important,  because  it  is  at  the  very  threshold 
of  temptation  and  duty.  The  habit  of  evening  prayer 
acquired  in  childhood  makes  it  much  easier  in  after 
life  to  keep  up  regular  evening  prayer.  A  habit  of 
morning  prayer  would  be  equally  valuable  and  helpful.* 

Personal  conversation  on  religion   should  also  enter 

*  I  have  collected  a  few  morning  prayers  for  little  children,  from 
which  parents  and  teachers  can  make  selections  : — 

1.  Now  I'm  rising  from  my  bed ; 
Like  a  bird,  I  must  be  fed  ; 
Heavenly  Father,  hear  me  pray — 
I  would  be  thy  child  to-day, 
Loving  Thee  with  holy  fear. 
Knowing  Thou  art  always  near, 
Happy  in  my  Father's  sight 

All  the  day,  and  all  the  night, 
Lest  my  feet  should  go  astray. 
Bid  some  angel  guard  my  way,  * 
And  a  vigil  keep  within, 
Lest  my  wayward  heart  should  sin. 

2.  As  soon  as  I  awake  from  sleep, 

I  pray  the  Lord  my  heart  to  keep ; 
And  through  the  day  my  life  to  save 
From  sin,  from  sorrow,  and  the  grave. 

3.  Hear,  O  Lord,  my  morning  prayer, 
Greatly  do  I  need  Thy  care  ; 

Save  my  life,  my  thoughts  control — 
I'm  a  sinner,  make  me  whole. 

4.  Jesus,  welcome  !  I  rejoice 

In  the  morn  to  hear  Thy  voice  ; 
Soon  as  I  awake  from  sleep. 
Thou  art  come  my  heart  to  keep  ; 
And  since  Thou  hast  come  for  me, 
Gladly  will  I  follow  Thee. 

5.  Now  I'm  rising  from  my  bed  ; 
Like  a  bird,  I  must  be  fed  ; 
Heavenly  Father,  let  me  share 
With  the  sparrows  in  Thy  care. 
Take  my  heart,  and  make  it  good  ; 
Feed  my  soul  with  heavenly  food. 


124     Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

into  every  teacher's  work.  A  young  lady  called  to  see 
a  friend  who  was  ill,  and  on  leaving,  one  of  the  children, 
a  sweet,  intelligent  little  girl,  took  her  down  stairs. 
She  was  her  own  especial  favorite  and  pet,  and  yet,  be- 
ing naturally  of  an  extremely  reserved  disposition,  she 
had  never  spoken  one  word  to  her  on  the  subject  of 
religion.  Looking  down  into  the  thoughtful,  loving 
eyes,  under  a  sudden  impulse  she  asked  the  question, 
"  Maud,  my  darling,  do  you  love  Jesus  ?  "  To  her  as- 
tonishment the  child  stopped  abruptly,  and  drawing 
her  into  a  room  which  they  were  passing,  she  shut  the 
door,  and  clinging  closely  to  her,  burst  into  a  flood  of 
tears.  Looking  up  at  last  with  a  glad,  happy  face,  she 
said,  "  Miss  Alice,  I  have  been  praying  for  six  months 
that  you  would  speak  to  me  of  Jesus,  and  now  you 
have.  Every  time  I  have  been  to  your  house,  and 
every  time  you  have  come  here,  I  have  hoped  you 
would  say  something,  and  I  was  beginning  to  think  you 
never  would." 

Perhaps  there  are  some  little  ones  praying  for  us  to 
speak  to  them  of  Jesus  !  I  am  aware  that  this  will  need 
to  be  done  very  judiciously  with  young  children;  but 
with  the  co-operation  of  parents,  it  will  be  possible  to 
train  up  these  little  ones  in  the  nurture  and  admonition 
of  the  Lord. 

In  closing  this  letter  let  me  quote  a  familiar  poem 

which  has  been  a  great  incentive  to  me  in  spiritual  work 

as  a  Sunday-school  teacher  : — 

"  When  mysterious  whispers  are  floating  about, 
And  voices  that  will  not  be  still 
Shall  summon  me  hence  from  the  slippeiy  shore 
To  the  waves  that  are  silent  and  chill ; 


The  Teacher's  Spiritual   Work.  125 

When  I  look  with  changed  eyes  at  the  home  of  the  blest, 

Far  out  of  the  reach  of  the  sea — 
"Will  any  one  stand  at  that  beautiful  gate, 

Waiting  and  watching  for  me  ? 

"  There  are  little  ones  glancing  about  on  my  path, 

In  need  of  a  friend  and  a  guide  ; 
There  are  dim  little  eyes  looking  up  into  mine, 

Whose  tears  could  be  easily  dried  ; 
But  Jesus  may  beckon  the  children  away 

In  the  midst  of  their  grief  or  their  glee — 
Will  any  of  these  at  the  beautiful  gate 

Be  waiting  and  watching  for  me  ? 

"  I  may  be  brought  there  by  the  manifold  grace 

Of  the  Saviour  who  loves  to  forgive, 
Though  I  bless  not  the  hungiy  ones  near  to  my  side. 

Only  pray  for  myself  while  I  live. 
But  I  think  I  should  mourn  o'er  my  selfish  neglect, 

If  sorrow  in  heaven  can  be, 
If  no  one  should  stand  at  that  beautiful  gate 

Waiting  and  watching  for  me." 

Yours,  in  loving  service,  S.  J.  C. 


TWELVE  LESSONS  ON  THE  LIFE  OF  CHRIST. 


I. 
Subject. — The  Child  Jesus. 
Golden  Text. — Matt,  ii,  lo. 
Ce?itral  Thought. — A  Saviour  Sought  and  Found. 

LESSON    PLAN. 
I.  To  review  God's  promise  that  a  Saviour  should  come.      2.  To 
teach  about  the  Saviour  king  made  manifest  in  the  flesh.     3.  The 
wise  men  sought  him  and  were  directed  to  him  by  a  star.     4.  The 
Holy  Spirit  will  lead  to  Jesus  all  who  seek  to  find  him. 

INTRODUCTORY     EXERCISE. 

Who  was  the  first  man  ?  Who  was  the  first  woman  } 
Who  made  them.?  Where  did  God  put  them  to  live.? 
Why  did  God  make  them  leave  the  garden  of  Eden 
after  awhile }  Who  did  he  promise  should  come  from 
heaven  and  take  their  sin  away.?  Your  teachers  will 
tell  you  to-day  about  how  Jesus  came  from  heaven  to 
take  their  sin  away.  [The  above  is  a  review  of  the 
third  lesson  in  the  first  year  of  the  International  course, 
entitled,  The  Fall  and  the  Promise.  The  following  is 
the  first  lesson  in  the  third  quarter  of  the  same  year.] 

THE    LESSON    TAUGHT. 

How  many  of  you  have  a  little  baby  brother  or  sister 
at  home.?  Do  they  look  anything  like  this  picture.? 
[Showing  some  large  ideal  picture  of  a  baby.]     I  know 


Twelve  Lessons  on  the  Life  of  Christ.        127 

you  had  all  many  questions  to  ask  about  the  baby  when 
it  first  came.  If  the  baby  could  have  talked,  I  am  sure 
it  would  have  said  to  you  : — 

"  God  thought  about  me,  and  so  I  grew." 
And  then  if  you  had  asked, 

"  But  how  did  you  come  to  us,  you  dear." 
Baby  would  have  answered, 

"  God  thought  about  you,  and  so  I  am  here." 

A  dear  little  friend  of  mine  was  one  day  playing 
church,  and  preaching  to  chairs.  His  mamma  heard 
him  say  to  them,  *'  Once  upon  a  time  before  there  was 
any  little  Willie  Moody,  away  up  in  heaven,  God  said, 
'Let  there  be  a  little  Willie  Moody,'  and  there  was  a 
Willie  Moody." 

"Let  there  be,"  are  the  words  which  God  spoke  to 
make  the  light,  the  sky,  the  sea,  the  sun,  moon,  and 
stars.  Away  up  in  heaven,  before  God  said,  "  Let  there 
be  "  any  thing,  Jesus  lived  with  the  heavenly  Father. 
He  was  so  old  that  the  Bible  calls  his  name.  The  An- 
cient of  Days;  and  yet  when  Jesus  left  heaven  to  live 
in  this  world  a  little  while,  God  gave  him  a  little  baby's 
body ;  and  so  we  talk  about  Jesus  being  born  in  a  man- 
ger at  Bethlehem,  In  the  Bible  it  is  said  of  Jesus, 
"  The  Lord  possessed  me  in  the  beginning  of  his  way, 
while  as  yet  he  had  not  made  the  earth  ;  then  I  was  by 
him  as  one  brought  up  with  him,  and  I  was  daily  his 
delight,  rejoicing  always  before  him." 

When  the  Father  was  ready  to  send  Jesus  to  take 
away  sin  as  he  had  promised  he  gave  him  a  very  little 
house  to  live  in.     Do  you  see  Jesus'  little  house  in  this 


T28     Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

picture  ?  [A  picture  of  Jesus  as  an  infant.]  You  do 
not  see  it?  If  I  show  you  the  windows  you  will  know 
where  it  is.  [Teacher  points  to  the  eyes  in  the  pict- 
ure.] Do  you  not  all  see  Jesus'  little  house  now  ? 
Do  you  live  in  larger  or  smaller  body-houses  than 
Jesus  had  ?  Who  has  the  largest  body-house  here  ? 
You  have.  O  how  wonderful  that  one  so  great  in  heav- 
en should  be  put  into  a  little  baby's  body-house  to 
live  !  He  was  more  wonderful  than  any  little  baby  God 
has  ever  made,  for  he  was  God  put  into  a  body  like  ours. 

When  Jesus  came  to  earth  God  put  a  new  star  in  the 
sky  to  help  people  find  him. 

Some  wise  men  saw  the  star,  and  they  knew  Jesus 
had  come.  They  went  to  the  king  and  asked  him  to 
read  out  of  the  Bible  the  promise  about  Jesus'  coming. 
The  king  sent  for  some  other  wise  men  who  could  read 
the  Bible.  They  came  and  read  the  name  of  the  town 
where  Jesus  should  be  born.  How  many  of  you  would 
like  to  know  the  name  of  that  town  ?  It  was  Bethle- 
hem ;  all  try  to  say  it.  Jesus  did  not  live  in  our  city, 
for  Bethlehem  is  far  across  the  ocean.  When  the  wise 
men  started  to  Bethlehem,  the  star  [which  star  ?]  moved 
as  if  to  show  them  the  way.  How  do  you  point  when 
you  want  to  show  any  one  the  way .''  [Children  point 
with  their  index  fingers.] 

I  love  to  think  God  was  pointing  the  way  when  the 
wise  men  were  traveling  to  Bethlehem.  Perhaps  the 
star  was  the  end  of  his  shining  finger !  I  will  read  to 
you  from  the  Bible  how  far  the  star  moved.  Matt,  ii,  9. 
They  found  the  dear  God-child  under  the  shining  of  the 
star.     How  do  you  think  the  wise  men  felt  when  they 


Twelve  Lessons  on  the  Life  of  Christ.       129 

found  that  the  star  had  led  them  to  Jesus?  Glad., 
The  Bible  tells  us,  *'  They  rejoiced  with  exceeding  great 
joy." 

THE    CLOSING    EXERCISE. 

Try  to  read  what  I  have  printed  /\  on  the 

blackboard.  "When  they  saw  \jesus  v^  they 
rejoiced  with  exceeding  great  joy."         j        C 

How  many  of  you  would  like  l^^\  to  go 
and    find    Jesus    now.''      Do    you  think 

you  could  go  to  him  as  the  wise  men  did,  and  have  a 
star  to  show  you  the  way  ?  Yes.  No,  Jesus  is  in  heav- 
en now;  if  you  tell  God  that  you  want  to  go  to  him, 
God  will  let  his  Holy  Spirit  lead  your  heart  to  Jesus  to- 
day, although  you  cannot  go  to  him  with  your  body. 
My  heart  went  to  find  Jesus  many  years  ago,  and  every 
day  now  it  has  a  visit  with  him.  When  I  pray,  I  call 
that  visiting  Jesus.  I  can  shut  my  eyes  and  be  with 
him  in  a  moment,  even  while  I  seem  to  stand  here. 
How  many  of  you  want  the  Holy  Spirit  to  take  your 
hearts  to  Jesus  }     What  will  he  do  for  you  }     Take  away 

my  sins. 

■  » 

II. 

Subject. — The  Baptism  of  Jesus. 
Golden  Text. — Mark  i,  11. 

Central  Thought. — Baptism  by  water  and  by  the  Holy 
Ghost. 

LESSON    PLAN. 
I.  To  recall  what  the  children  have  observed  of  baptisms.     2.  To 
teach  about  the  double  baptism  which  Jesus  received  at  the  River 
Jordan.     3.  To  teach  that  all  who  are  baptized  with  water  may  also 
be  baptized  with  the  Holy  Ghost. 
9 


130     Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

introductory  exercise. 
How  many  of  you  have  ever  seen  any  one  baptized  ? 
Who  were  they  ?  Were  they  baptized  in  the  river  or  in 
the  church  ?  How  was  it  done  ?  You  are  going  to 
learn  to-day  about  Jesus  being  baptized.  What  do  you 
want  to  know  about  it.''  /  ivajit  to  know  whether  he 
was  baptized  in  the  river  or  in  the  church,  and  who  bap- 
tized him.  Your  teachers  are  waiting  to  tell  you  all 
these  things. 

THE    LESSON    TAUGHT. 

Jesus  was  baptized  twice  in  one  day  !  The  first  time 
John  baptized  him,  and  the  second  time  God  baptized 
him  John  baptized  so  many  people  that  he  was  called 
John  the  Baptist.  That  is  the  work  God  gave  John  to 
do — to  tell  the  people  that  they  should  very  soon  see" 
Jesus,  to  beg  them  to  feel  sorry  for  their  sins,  and  to  be 
baptized.  John  did  not  preach  to  the  people  in  church, 
but  in  the  street,  by  the  sea-side,  or  in  the  fields.  Do 
you  think  John  baptized  in  the  church  or  in  the  river  i» 
In  the  river.  Yes,  in  the  River  Jordan.  One  day  while 
John  was  baptizing  some  people  Jesus  came  to  be 
baptized.  To  what  place  did  he  come  1  The  River 
Jordan.  The  people  did  not  know  who  he  was, 
but  John  did.  John  thought  Jesus  was  too  good 
and  too  great  for  him  to  baptize,  so  he  said,  "No; 
I  have  need  to  be  baptized  of  thee."  Then  Jesus 
talked  with  John,  and  told  him  it  was  right  for  him  to 
do  it,  because  the  Son  of  God  must  be  baptized  in  or- 
der to  obey  God.  Then  John  baptized  him.  Where  .' 
With  what .'     Water.     God  looked  down  from  heaven  ; 


Twelve  Lessons  on  the  Life  of  Christ.  131 

what  did  he  see  ?  Jesus  being  baptized.  Then  God 
baptized  him,  not  his  body  with  water,  but  he  baptized 
his  heart  with  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  heavens  were 
opened,  and  God  sent  down  the  Holy  Spirit  into  Jesus' 
heart  to  help  him  be  loving  and  gentle  always  to  the 
wicked  and  cruel  people  among  whom  he  had  come  to 
live.  He  had  come  from  heaven  to  do  good  to  these 
people,  and  to  die  for  them  so  that  God  would  forgive 
their  sin.  Are  not  you  and  I  some  of  those  wicked 
people  ?  No.  I  am  sure  we  are,  for  every  day  we  do 
something  wrong  that  makes  Jesus'  heart  sad.  With 
what  did  John  baptize  Jesus'  body.**  With  what  did 
God  baptize  his  heart }  Where  did  John  baptize  Jesus  } 
Where  did  God  baptize  him  }  Who  saw  John  baptize 
Jesus  ?  Do  you  think  any  body  saw  God  baptizing 
Jesus.?  Yes.  No  one  but  John;  he  saw  the  Holy 
Spirit  come  down  from  heaven  to  be  Jesus'  helper.  He 
said  the  Holy  Spirit  looked  like  a  dove,  and  rested  on 
Jesus*  shoulder.  God  spoke  from  heaven,  saying,  "  This 
is  my  beloved  Son  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased."  Do 
you  think  the  people  heard  God's  voice  .-*  Yes.  If 
they  did,  they  thought  it  was  thunder;  only  John  knew 
God  had  spoken.  What  did  John  hear  God  say.?  I 
have  not  told  you  how  old  Jesus  was  when  John  bap- 
tized him.  Would  you  like  to  know.?  Yes.  He  was 
thirty  years  old.  How  old  was  he  when  God  baptized 
him?     Thirty  years  old. 


132      Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

the  closing  exercise. 

I  wish  you  would  all  try  to  read  what  I  have  printed 
on  the  blackboard  : — 

^-  *t  "  *e  -  *t  -  H  •'  *e  -  H  '•  H  -  ^-  V  -  *e  "  *t  — 


THIS    IS    MY    BELOVED    SON,    IN 
WHOM    I    AM    WELL    PLEASED. 


Who  said  this  ?  When  ?  Who  thought  the  Holy 
Spirit  looked  like  a  dove  ? 

A  friend  once  asked  me  which  of  God's  animals  I 
would  like  to  be.  I  thought  that  was  a  very  funny 
question,  but  still  I  made  a  choice.  My  friend  said  he 
would  rather  be  a  pure  white  dove  than  any  thing  else, 
because  it  is  the  sign  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  A  dove  is  the 
gentlest,  kindest  creature  God  has  made;  but  we  may 
become  even  more  gentle  and  loving  than  a  dove  if  we 
have  God's  Holy  Spirit  in  our  hearts;  that  will  give  our 
eyes  a  gentle  look,  will  make  our  hands  work  to  do  good 
for  others,  will  make  our  feet  run  to  help  others.  How 
many  of  you  want  to  be  baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit.'* 
Who  can  do  it  ?  You  told  me  when  we  first  began  our 
lesson  that  you  had  seen  many  persons  baptized.  Were 
they  baptized  with  water  or  with  the  Holy  Spirit  ?  With 
7vatcr.  Baptism  with  water  is  a  sign  of  membership  in 
the  kingdom  of  heaven.  You  were  baptized  with  water 
when  you  were  little  babes,  because  Jesus  said  of  all  lit- 
tle children  :  *'  Of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven."    But 


Twelve  Lessons  oji  the  Life  of  Christ.         133 

then  we  must  also  be  baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit. 
What  did  God  say  about  Jesus  when  he  was  baptized  ? 
^'This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased.'' 
When  you  are  baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit  you  will 
hear  his  voice  saying,  "This  is  my  beloved  [substituting 
the  names  of  one  or  more  children)  in  whom  I  am  well 
pleased." 

ni. 

Subject, — The  Law. 

Golde7i  Text. — Rom.  xiii,  10. 

Cefitral  Thought. — Charity,  the  bond  of  perfectness. 

LESSON    PLAN. 

I.  To  review  the  law  as  given  by  Moses.  2.  To  teach  the  law  of 
love  which  came  by  Jesus  Christ.  3,  To  teach  how  the  keeping  of 
the  new  law  fulfills  the  duties  of  the  old  law. 

INTRODUCTORY    EXERCISE. 

If  you  should  try  to  reach  out  your  arms  behind,  you 
could  make  them  go  pretty  far  back  ;  could  you  not  ? 

Now,  I  want  you  to  reach  your  thoughts  back  to 
something  you  learned  a  long  time  ago,  back  to  Moses 
and  the  Israelites.  How  many  of  you  remember  learn- 
ing about  them  }  What  did  God  give  to  Moses  on  two 
tables  of  stone  from  the  top  of  Mount  Sinai  ?  I  am  mak- 
ing on  the  blackboard  pictures  of  the  two  tables  of  stone. 
[The  teacher  draws  them.]  I  think  you  all  know  the 
words  which  God  wrote.  How  many  of  you  can  say 
them  }  Perhaps,  if  I  should  print  a  few  of  the  words, 
we  would  be  helped  to  speak  them  together. 

[The  teacher  prints  on  the  first  table,  "No  other  gods,"  "Graven  images," 
"  Jealous  God,"  and  "  Remember  the  Sabbath  ; "  and  on  the  second  table.  "  Honor," 


134     Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

"  Not  kill;'  "  Not  commit  adultery,"  ''  Not  steal,"  "  Not  bear  false  witness,"  "Not 
covet."  The  teachers  and  children  should  now  repeat  in  concert  the  Ten  Com- 
mandments.] 

God  gave  more  than  ten  commandments  to  the  Is- 
raelites;  he  told  Moses  six  hundred  and  three  others  to 
teach  the  people.  Then  how  many  commandments  did 
God  give  altogether  to  the  Israelites  ? 

By  whom  did  he  give  them  ?  By  Moses.  Yes,  God 
spake  to  the  people  by  Moses. 

Whom  did  God  afterward  send  from  heaven  to  speak  for 
him  to  all  the  people  in  the  world  .^  Jesus.  One  of  Jesus' 
names  is  "  The  Word,"  for  he  was  God's  word  to  us. 

Your  teachers  will  tell  you  now  how  many  command- 
ments God  told  Jesus  to  tell  us — Jesus,  the  Word  that 
was  made  flesh  and  dwelt  among  us. 

THE    LESSON    TAUGHT. 

How  many  commandments  did  God  give  to  the  Is- 
raelites by  Moses  .^ 

What  are  you  expecting  me  to  tell  you  now  }  Hcnv 
many  commandments  God  told  Jesus  to  give. 

One  day  a  scribe  came  to  Jesus  and  asked  him  which 
was  the  greatest  of  all  the  commandments  God  had 
given  by  Moses.  The  scribe  knew  all  of  the  six  hun- 
dred and  thirteen  commandments,  for  his  business  was 
to  write  Bibles  with  his  reed  pen.  That  is  the  way 
Bibles  were  made  before  people  knew  how  to  print 
them.  The  scribe  had  probably  many  times  written  the 
six  hundred  and  thirteen  commandments.  What  did  he 
come  to  Jesus  asking  ?  Jesus  said  the  greatest  com- 
mandment is.  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with 
all   thy  heart,  etc.     [Let  the   teacher  read  it  from   the 


Twelve  Lessons  on  the  Life  of  Christ.        135 

Bible.  Matt,  xxii,  37.]  How  many  commandments 
among  the  ten  could  we  find  about  loving  God  and  serv- 
ing him  .''  Four.  And  there  were  many  others,  too,  among 
the  six  hundred,  about  serving  God  ;  some  told  them  to 
make  sacrifice  of  lambs  and  doves  and  bullocks  when  they 
had  sinned.     You  learned  about  that  many  weeks  ago. 

How  many  commandments  did  Jesus  give  about  serv- 
ing God  1  One.  He  knew  that  if  any  body  should  love 
God  he  would  do  right  without  being  told  what  he 
must  do  and  what  he  must  not  do. 

Among  the  six  hundred  and  thirteen  commandments 
were  many  that  told  the  people  how  they  must  act  to- 
ward each  other,  and  how  they  must  buy  and  sell  and 
take  care  of  their  animals,  and  how  they  must  treat  each 
other's  animals.  God  had  to  teach  the  Israelites  in 
somewhat  the  same  way  your  parents  teach  you.  Your 
mother  and  father  say  to  you,  "  Don't  come  to  the  table 
with  dirty  hands,"  "  Don't  come  into  the  house  with 
mud  on  your  shoes,"  "Don't  speak  saucy  words." 
When  they  have  told  you  these  many  things  many  times, 
and  they  afterward  say,  "  Now  be  good  children,"  you 
know  every  thing  they  mean;  do  you  not.? 

For  nearly  fifteen  hundred  years  God  had  been  teach- 
ing the  Israelites  what  they  must  do  and  what  they 
must  not  do,  and  so  he  thought  they  would  know  what 
he  meant  if  he  should  tell  Jesus  to  say,  "  Love 
one  another,"  You  know  people  who  love  each 
other  never  want  to  kill  one  another,  nor  steal,  nor  tell 
wicked  stories  about  each  other.  So,  after  telling  the 
scribe  that  to  love  God  was  the  greatest  commandment, 
Jesus  said  the  second  was  like  unto  it,  "  Thou  shalt  love 


136     Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

thy  neighbor  as  thyself."  Let  us  say  together  the  two 
commandments  which  Jesus  gave.  [The  children  re- 
peat them,  helped  by  their  teacher.] 

Then  Jesus  said,  "There  is  none  other  commandment 
greater  than  these;  on  these  two  commandments  hang  all 
the  law  and  the  prophets."  When  Jesus  had  thus  spok- 
en, the  scribe  thought  a  few  minutes  about  the  six  hun- 
dred and  thirteen  commandments,  and  then  said,  "  Mas- 
ter, thou  hast  said  the  truth."  [Let  the  teacher  read 
from  the  Bible  the  remainder  of  the  reply  in  verses  32 
and  ;^;^  of  the  lesson.] 

Jesus  saw  that  the  scribe  knew  much  about  God's 
ways,  and  he  said  to  him,  "  Thou  art  not  far  from  the 
kingdom  of  God." 

THE    CLOSING    EXERCISE. 

Have  you  learned  how  many  commandments  the 
Father  in  heaven  told  Jesus  to  tell  his  people.'* 

What  were  they  ? 

What  do  you  see  on  the  blackboard  .'*  Pictures  of  the 
tables  of  stone. 

Wliat  was  written  on  the  real  stone  tables  1 

Now  I  am  going  to  rub  out  these  ten  commandments, 
and  I  want  you  to  tell  me  how  to  put  them  back  in  one 
word.  Can  you  not  tell  in  one  word  what  Jesus  said 
we  must  do  to  serve  God,  and  to  do  right  to  everybody  } 
Love.     Yes  ;  love  God  and  love  our  neighbors. 


[If  the  children  do  not  suggest  love,  let  the  teacher  give  it.  A 
pleasant  interest  may  be  awakened  by  asking  the  children  to  tell 
how  the  word  love  could  be  printed  on  two  tables.  They  will 
probably  say  that  half  of  it  may  be  put  in  one  tablet,  and  a  half 
in  the  other,  thus  : — 

Let  the  teacher  then  print  it  so.] 


LO 


VE 


Twelve  Lessons  on  the  Life  of  Christ.        137 

If  we  love  God,  what  will  we  not  do  ?  Not  have  any 
other  gods  j  nor  worship  any  other  gods ;  nor  take  God 's 
natne  in  vain,  and  we  will  keep  the  Sabbath  day  holy.  If 
we  love  every  body  what  will  we  not  want  to  do  ?  Not 
kill  J  not  steal,  etc.  Then,  to  love  is  to  do  God's  way, 
and  to  keep  all  the  six  hundred  and  thirteen  command- 
ments, without  knowing  what  they  all  are.  The  Bible 
says,  "  Love  is  the  fulfilling  of  the  law." 

All  say  together  once  more  the  two  commandments 
which  God  told  Jesus  to  speak  to  us. 

Did  God  write  them  on  tables  of  stone.?  No!  Our 
picture  makes  it  seem  so.  God  says,  "  I  will  put  my  law 
in  their  inward  parts,  and  write  it  in  their  hearts."  Not 
in  tables  of  stone,  but  in  fleshy  tables  of  the  heart.  I 
will  make  our  picture  true.  [The  teacher  changes  the 
two  outside  straight  lines  of  the  tables  already  drawn 
to  slightly  curved  ones,  which  will  make  a  heart.] 

God  wants  to  write  love  on  your  hearts,  and  then  he 
will  say  to  you,  as  he  did  to  the  scribe.  Thou  art  not  far 
from  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  How  many  of  you  want 
love   for  God   and   love  for 'every  body  to  be   in   your 

hearts  ? 

• 

IV. 

Subject. — Power  Over  the  Sea. 
Golden  Text. — Psa.  cvii,  29. 

Central  Thought. — "  The  Father  loveth  the  Son,  and 
hath  given  all  things  into  his  hands." 

LESSON    PLAN. 
I.  To  impress  the  children  with  the  power  of  the  Father.     2.  To 
tell  the  story  of  the  lesson,  teaching  that  Jesus  is  equal  with  the  Fa- 
ther in  power. 


138     Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

introductory  exercise. 

I  want  you  all  to  look  in  my  hand  and  see  what  I  am 
holding.  Water.  What  does  the  hollow  of  my  hand 
make  }  A  cup.  If  my  hand  were  larger,  what  could  I 
do  1  Hold  ino}'e  water.  Would  you  like  to  know  how 
much  water  God  holds  in  his  hand  ?  The  Bible  tells  us 
that  God  holds  the  great  seas  in  his  hand,  the  great  seas 
in  which  ships  sail ;  across  which  nobody  can  see,  they 
are  so  wide. 

Let  me  read  to  you  from  the  Bible  about  this,  (Isa. 
xl,  12):  "Who  hath  measured  the  waters  in  the  hol- 
low of  his  hand." 

Now  I  am  going  to  show  you  on  the  blackboard  how 
wide  I  can  stretch  my  hand.  Now  I  will  make  a  dot 
where  my  little  finger  is,  and  another  where  my  thumb 
is.  Now  I  will  draw  a  line  from  one  dot  to  the  other, 
and  you  can  see  just  how  far  I  can  stretch  my  hand. 
You  could  not  reach  so  far  with  your  little  hands.  If 
my  hand  were  larger  I  might  stretch  it  across  the  whole 
blackboard.  The  Bible  tells  us  how  far  God  can 
stretch  his  hand.  Would  you  like  to  know  how  far.' 
God  can  stretch  his  hand  across  the  whole  sky.  [Let 
the  teacher  hold  up  her  hand  and  point  to  the  distance 
between  her  outstretched  thumb  and  little  finger.]  The 
Bible  tells  us  he  hath  "  meted  out  (measured)  heaven 
with  the  span."  The  span  is  the  distance  between  the 
thumb  and  little  finger.     How  great  God  is ! 

How  many  of  you  would  like  to  learn  about  what  God 
can  do  with  the  sea  which  he  holds  in  the  hollow  of  his 
hand  1     Your  teachers  are  waiting  to  tell  you. 


Twelve  Lessons  on  the  Life  of  Christ.       139 


THE    LESSON    TAUGHT. 

How  many  of  you  have  ever  seen  ships  ?  I  have 
brought  a  picture  of  a  ship  for  those  to  look  at  who 
have  never  seen  a  real  one.  [Any  little  print  will  an- 
swer.] What  name  do  we  give  to  men  who  sail  on  the 
ships  }  Sailors.  Sometimes  there  are  great  storms  at 
sea;  then  ships  are  broken  in  pieces  and  sailors  are 
drowned.  Once  there  was  a  storm,  and  all  on  the  ship 
were  very  much  frightened  except  one  sailor;  he  did  not 
seem  troubled  at  all.  When  some  one  asked  him  what 
made  him  so  calm,  why  he  was  not  frightened,  he  said, 
*'  If  I  should  drown,  I  would  only  be  sinking  into  the 
hollow  of  my  Father's  hand."  What  did  he  know  about 
the  sea  that  you  have  learned  to-day.'  That  God  holds 
it  in  the  hollow  of  his  hand. 

Now  listen  while  I  tell  you  a  story  I  have  read  in  the 
Bible  about  some  other  men  who  were  in  a  ship  when 
there  was  a  storm  on  the  sea.  When  I  get  through  tell- 
ing the  story  I  shall  want  you  to  tell  me  what  they 
forgot. 

It  was  in  the  night,  and  twelve  men  were  in  a  ship 
together,  and  they  had  with  them  several  other  little 
ships.  Jesus  was  with  the  twelve  men  ;  how  many  per- 
sons in  the  large  boat,  then  1 

Jesus  had  been  preaching  all  day,  and  he  had  done 
what  you  and  I  do  when  we  are  very  tired.  What .'' 
He  had  gone  to  sleep.  Yes,  with  a  pillow  under  his 
head,  not  such  a  pillow  as  you  and  I  have,  but  more  like 
a  little  stool. 

God  blew  his  breath  on  the  sea,  and  that  made  wind 


140      Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

and  waves,  such  great  waves  that  the  ship  was  nearly 
filled  with  water;  still  Jesus  slept.  The  twelve  disci- 
ples became  so  frightened  that  they  went  to  Jesus, 
asleep  on  his  pillow,  and  woke  him  up,  saying.  Do 
you  not  care  if  we  die }  "  Carest  thou  not  that  we 
perish." 

Those  twelve  men  were  afraid  to  fall  into  the  sea. 
Now  try  to  tell  me  what  they  had  forgotten.  That 
God  holds  the  sea  in  the  hollow  of  his  hand.  Any 
thing  else  1  That  drowning  is  o?ily  sinking  into  God 's 
hand. 

God  holds  the  sea  in  his  hand.  What  could  he 
have  done  to  stop  the  storm  if  the  twelve  men  had 
called  upon  him  for  help  .'*  XeJ>t  his  hand  still.  Stopped 
blowing  his  breath. 

How  many  of  you  think  Jesus  could  stop  the  storm 
when  the  twelve  men  called  to  him  for  help  } 

Listen  while  I  read  a  verse  from  the  Bible,  and  then 
tell  me  whether  or  not  you  think  there  was  any  use  for 
the  twelve  frightened  men  to  call  on  Jesus  to  stop  the 
storm.  [Teacher  reads,  "  The  Father  loveth  the  Son, 
and  hath  given  all  things  into  his  hands."  John  iii,  35.] 
That  means  the  sea  and  many  other  things  besides. 
How  many  of  you  think  now  that  Jesus  could  stop  the 
storm  }  [All  the  hands  are  raised  to  signify  that  they 
think  he  could.] 

Listen  while  I  read  what  Jesus  did  when  they  wak- 
ened him:  "And  he  arose,  and  rebuked  the  wind, 
and  said  unto  the  sea,  Peace,  be  still.  And  the  wind 
ceased,  and  there  was  a  great  calm."  Tell  me  now,  to- 
gether, besides  the  Father  in  heaven,  whom  do  the  wind 


Twelve  Lessons  on  the  Life  of  Christ.         141 

and  sea  obey  ?    fesus.     Why  ?     Because  the  Father  hath 
given  all  things  into  his  hands. 

When  the  storm  had  gone,  the  disciples  looked  at 
each  other  with  fear  in  their  faces,  "  and  said  one  to 
another.  What  manner  of  man  is  this,  that  even  the 
wind  and  the  sea  obey  him  ?  " 


THE    CLOSING    EXERCISE. 

Who  can  read  what  is  on  the  blackboard  ? 

[Let  the  words  of  the  Golden  Text,  "  He  maketh  the  storm,"  be  printed  so  as 
to  represent  waves,  then  "a  cahn,"  thus  "  a  c-a-l-m  ;"  "so  that  the  waves  there- 
of," in  waves  again,  and  "are  still,"  thus,  "  a-r-e   s-t-i-1-1."] 

Of  whom  only  can  we  say  these  words  ?  Of  God  the 
Father^  and  fesus  the  Son. 

If  you  will  all  do  just  as  I  tell  you,  I  will  help  you  to 
know  what  a  great  difference  there  is  between  a  storm 
and  a  calm.  Now,  all  slide  your  feet  forward  and 
backward  on  the  floor  until  I  raise  my  hand,  and  blow 
your  breath  between  your  teeth  to  make  the  sound  of 
wind. 

[Let  the  children  do  as  the  teacher  directs,  and  a  good  imitation  of  wind  and 
thunder  is  made.  This  exercise  is  given  that  it  may  impress  the  lesson  by  its 
novelty,  and  at  the  same  time  gain  the  attention  of  idle  children.] 

Now,  sit  so  quietly  that  you  will  hardly  have  to  move 
your  eyes.  [Wait  a  moment  for  perfect  silence.] 
It  was  something  like  that  after  Jesus  had  spoken  to 
the  storm.  Now,  while  it  is  so  still,  whisper  the  verse 
about  what  the  Father  and  the  Son  can  do.  "  He  mak- 
eth the  storm  a  calm,"  etc. 

To-day,  just  as  on  that  long  ago  yesterday,  God  holds 


142     Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

the  sea  in  his  hands,  and  measures  the  heavens  with  a 
span.  [Teacher  imitating  with  her  own  hand.]  And 
now,  as  then,  the  storms  obey  his  voice,  whether  the 
Father  or  the  Son  speaks.  We  say  sometimes,  "  It 
has  cleared  off;  "  it  would  be  better  to  say,  *' God  has 
spoken." 

Whom  has  the  Father  made  as  great  as  himself  to 
measure  and  to  hold  ?  Jesus  the  Son.  Let  us  together 
say  the  verse  about  it  once  more  :  "  The  Father  loveth 
the  Son,  and  hath  given  all  things  into  his  hands." 

[Note. — Let  the  pupils  each  be  given  a  piece  of  paper  with  a  hand  drawn  on  it, 
and  in  the  palm  of  the  hand  these  words,  "  He  hath  measured  the  sea  in  the  hol- 
low of  his  hand,"  and  between  the  thumb  and  little  finger  these  words,  "  And 
meted  out  the  heaven  with  a  span."  Request  that  these  be  learned  to  recite  next 
Sunday.  Ask  all  to  try  to  remember  the  verse  about  the  Father  giving  all  things 
into  the  hands  of  the  Son,  and  request  them  to  learn  also  the  Golden  Text. 


V. 

Subject.— i:\\<t  Mind  of  Christ. 
Golden  Text. — Phil,  ii,  5. 

Central  Thought.— '' Th^  Child-like  is  the  Christ- 
like." 

LESSON    PLAN. 

I.  To  teach  that  God  can  read  all  hearts.  2.  To  lead  the  children 
to  tell  what  ought  to  be  in  the  heart  for  God  to  read.  3.  To  teach 
that  the  heart  of  a  child  (such  as  Christ  described)  has  in  it  the  right 
reading.  4.  To  tell  how  Christ  taught  this  to  the  disciples.  5.  To 
teach  that  to  be  child-like  in  heart  is  to  have  in  us  the  mind  that  is 
in  Christ  Jesus. 

INTRODUCTORY   EXERCISE. 

I  have  in  my  hand  a  book,  just  like  those  you  read 
in  at  school,  [a  primer,  perhaps.]     You  see  the  book  is 


Twelve  Lessons  on  the  Life  of  Christ.        143 

shut;  but  look,  how  is  it  now?  Ope7i.  How  do  you 
have  the  book  when  you  read,  open  or  closed  ?  Open. 
Of  course  you  do;  you  could  not  read  from  a  closed 
book. 

When  you  look  at  me  and  do  not  hear  me  talk,  do 
you  know  what  I  am  thinking  about  ?  Are  my  thoughts 
like  a  closed  or  an  open  book  to  you  ?  Like  a  closed 
one.     So  are  yours  to  me. 

I  know  of  some  one  who  reads  the  thoughts  of  our 
hearts  as  if  they  were  open  books ;  do  you  not  know, 
too? 

One  day  Jesus  met  a  woman  at  a  well  drawing  water. 
The  woman  was  wicked.  She  did  not  tell  Jesus  so,  but 
he  looked  into  her  heart  and  read  there  all  the  wrong 
things  she  had  ever  done,  then  he  told  her  that  he  knew 
about  her  wickedness.  Jesus  wanted  to  make  her  bet- 
ter, so  he  talked  to  her  about  heavenly  things.  Then 
she  ran  to  find  her  friends  in  the  city,  and  she  said  to 
them,  *'  Come,  see  a  man  which  told  me  all  things  that 
ever  I  did  ;  is  not  this  the  Christ  ?  " 

[If  a  teacher  wishes  to  add  still  further  illustrations  upon  this  poiat,  incidents 
may  be  found  in  John  i,  47-50,  and  in  John  xxi,  17.] 

Your  lesson  to-day  is  about  Jesus  reading  the  hearts 
of  his  twelve  disciples.  He  read  them  as  if  they  had 
been  what?     Open  hooks. 

I  will  make  an  open  book  on  the  blackboard,  and 
draw  a  heart  around  it,  to  make  us  know  just  how 
their  hearts  seemed  to  Jesus.     [The  teacher  draws.] 

But  there  is  nothing  in  the  book  I  have  drawn  !  Did 
not  Jesus  read  something  in  the  hearts  of  the  disciples  ? 
O^yes!    Good  or  bad  ?     We  donotknoiv.     I  will  tell  you 


144    Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

what   they  had  been   talking   about,  and  then   you  will 
know  whether  to  say  good  or  bad. 

[Let  the  teacher  now  briefly,  but  forcibly,  describe  what  is  said  of  the  disciples 
in  the  thirty-fourth  verse  of  the  lesson,  and  again  ask  what  Jesus  read  in  the  open 
books  of  their  hearts.  By  careful  questioning  the  children  may  be  led  to  give  the 
ideas  of  pride  and  ambition,  if  not  the  words  themselves.  Then  these  attributes 
should  be  printed  in  the  pictures  of  the  open  book,  and  the  children  should  be 
taught  to  say  that  Jesus  read  pride  and  ambition  in  the  disciples'  hearts.] 

THE    LESSON    TAUGHT. 

Tell  me  now  together,  when  you  are  not  looking  at 
the  picture  on  the  blackboard,  what  Jesus  read  in  the 
disciples'  hearts. 

Do  you  think  that  is  what  ought  to  have  been  there 
for  him  to  read  ? 

How  many  of  you  would  like  to  know  what  ought 
to  be  in  the  heart-books  for  Jesus  to  read.''  I  am  just 
wondering  if  you  cannot  tell  me. 

[If  the  children  are  slow  to  answer,  let  the  teacher  help  them  to  talk  by  clustering 
questions  and  illustrations  about  the  two  virtues  that  are  opposed  to  the  vices  of 
pride  and  ambition,  that  is,  humility  and  obedience.  Doubtless  the  children  will  at 
once  say,  /oz'e.  The  teacher  should  then  print  these  virtues  upon  a  little  book  which 
has  been  made  beforehand,  thus :  Cut  four  white  heart-shaped  papers  in  such  a 
way  that  they  will  be  joined  together  at  one  side,  in  twos ;  cut  then  two  leaves  of 
colored  paper,  of  the  heart  shape,  also  joined  at  one  side,  which  are  to  serve  for  the 
cover  of  the  book  ;  then  stitch  them  all  together,  or  fasten  them  with  ribbon. 
Print  on  the  second  white  \q-sS  hiiviility^  on  the  third  obedience^  and  on  the  fourth 
love.  Leave  the  first  white  leaf  blank  for  the  name,  and  the  upper  side  of  the 
cover  for  the  Golden  Text.] 

Who  do  you  think  have  such  good  and  true  hearts  as 
we  have  been  talking  about.'' 

How  many  of  you  would  like  to  know  where  Jesus 
taught  his  disciples  to  find  hearts  with  humility,  obedi- 
ence, and  love  in  them  .? 

[Let  the  teacher  now  tell  lovingly  the  story  of  the  child  that  was  "set  in  the 
midst  of  them."  Major  Whittle  of  Chicago,  whose  name  is  fragrant  with  love  and 
deeds   for   Christ,    once  explained    this   lesson    by    holding   a   little   child    itself 


Twelve  Lessons  on  the  Life  of  Christ.        145 

for  illustration.  Certainly  it  was  a  good  way  to  teach  "  Through  the  Eye  to  the 
Heart." 

To  add  vividness  to  the  scene  of  Christ's  teaching  in  this  instance,  I  will  men- 
tion some  particulars  (which  the  teacher  may  weave  into  the  Bible  story)  of  a 
large  painting  by  Sir  Thomas  Lawrence,  called  "Christ  Teacheth  Humility," 
■which  is  in  the  National  Gallery  of  Scotland.  A  mother  sits  near  Christ,  holding 
a  little  child  on  her  lap.  Christ  has  his  hand  on  the  child's  head,  and  is  looking 
at  the  disciples  and  talking  with  them.  The  eyes  of  the  ambitious  disciples  arc 
downcast,  and  the  blush  of  shame  is  on  their  cheeks.  Pharisees  standing  about 
are  offended  at  Christ's  words,  and  are  whispering  to  each  other.  Several  women 
and  children  are  looking  fondly  at  Christ  ;  especially  one  little  boy  looks  up 
brightly  at  him. 

It  should  be  remembered  that  childhood,  and  not  childishness,  is  the  lesson  to  be 
taught.  Caution  should  be  exercised,  too,  lest  the  children  leave  the  class  feeling 
that  they  have  been  e.xalted  since  they  are  children.  This  last  point  might  be  im- 
pressed as  follows :] 

So  Jesus  taught  the  disciples  what  ought  to  be  in 
their  hearts  by  showing  them  what  was  in  a  little  child's 
heart.  You  are  little  children.  Do  you  think,  then,  that 
your  hearts  have  in  them  just  what  ought  to  be  there 
for  Jesus  to  read  ?  I  think  they  have  in  them  some  pride 
and  ambition,  like  that  which  Jesus  read  in  the  disci- 
ples' hearts;  perhaps  only  a  very  little.  You  must  try 
to  keep  your  hearts  right  now,  while  you  have  not  been 
long  from  God ;  if  you  do  not,  by  and  by  it  will  be 
hard  to  make  them  have  the  "  humility,  obedience,  and 
love  "  that  Jesus  wants  to  read  in  them.* 

THE    CLOSING    EXERCISE. 

Read  now  what  Jesus  read  in  the  heart-books  of  the 
disciples,  [pointing  to  the  figure  drawn  in  the  Opening 
Exercise  on  the  blackboard.] 

He  wanted  them  to  put  away  "pride  and  ambition," 
so  I  win  rub  them  out. 

*  Ruskin  says :  "  While  you  are  young,  it  will  be  as  well  to  take 
care  that  your  hearts  don't  want  much  washing  ;  for  they  may,  per- 
haps, need  wringing  also  when  they  do." 
10 


146    Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

What  did  he  want  them  to  put  into  their  heart-books  ? 
Humility^  obedience^  and  love. 

See  what  I  am  drawing — what  ?  Three  hearts.  They 
are  some  of  the  leaves  of  the  heart-book.  You  see  only 
one  leaf  in  that  picture.  On  one  I  will  print  humility^ 
on  another  obedience^  and  on  the  other  love. 

How  did  Jesus  teach  the  disciples  about  these 
things  .'* 

The  heart  of  Christ  is  like  the  heart  of  a  little  child, 
but  it  has  in  it  more  humility,  more  obedience,  more 
love  than  a  child-heart  can  have.  How  many  of  you 
would  like  to  have  in  your  hearts  the  same  thoughts 
that  are  in  Jesus'  heart  1  Then  I  will  make  this  for  a 
picture  of  the  way  you  want  your  hearts  to  be.  [In  the 
heart  already  drawn,  the  teacher  prints  the  Golden 
Text,  "  Let  this  mind  be  in  you,  which  was  also  in 
Christ  Jesus."] 

If  you  have  hearts  like  Christ's,  what  three  things  will 
be  in  them .? 

Your  teachers  have  made  a  little  paper  heart-book 
for  each  of  you,  with  this  verse  on  the  outside  for  you 
to  learn.  The  leaves  are  left  white  for  you  to  print  on 
them  the  three  things  which  Jesus  wants  to  read  in 
your  hearts  ;  the  first  white  leaf  is  for  your  name,  to 
show  that  you  want  your  heart  to  be  good  and  true. 
How  many  of  you  will  try  to  print  in  the  little  paper 
heart-books,  and  bring  them  for  your  teachers  and  for 
me  to  read  next  Sunday.? 

How  many  of  you  will  try  to  make  humility,  obedi- 
ence, and  love,  in  your  real  hearts,  for  Jesus  to  read  ? 


T^welve  Lessons  on  the  Life  of  Christ.        147 

VI. 

Subject. — Parable  of  the  Sower. 

Golden  Text. — James  i,  22. 

Central  Thought. — The  Word  and  its  Hearers. 

LESSON  PLAN. 
I.  In  the  Opening  Exercise,  to  teach  about  the  first  kind  of  un- 
profitable hearers  mentioned  by  Christ.  2.  In  the  Class  Exercise,  to 
teach  about  the  second  kind  of  unprofitable  hearers.  3,  In  the 
Closing  Exercise,  to  teach  about  the  third  kind,  and  draw  a  contrast 
between  the  whole  number  and  a  profitable  hearer, 

OPENING    EXERCISE. 

Listen  a  moment  to  the  ticking  of  the  clock.  [Chil- 
dren listen.]  How  many  of  you  did  not  hear  the  clock 
before  I  told  you  to  listen .?  Had  the  clock  stopped  } 
No.  I  know  why  you  did  not  hear  it.  You  were  not 
listening  to  it  or  thinking  about  it.  I  have  sat  in  a 
room  one  day  where  there  was  a  striking  clock,  and 
although  it  struck  each  hour,  I  did  not  hear  it  more 
than  once  or  twice.  Why  did  I  not  hear  it  ?  Because 
you  did  7iot  think  about  it.  I  notice  it  is  sometimes  that 
way  with  you  when  I  speak  to  you  about  Jesus.  The 
sound  of  my  voice  goes  into  your  ears,  but  you  do  not 
hear  what  I  say,  because  you  look  some  other  way  or 
talk  to  each  other.  You  do  not  pay  attention.  That 
is  the  way  many  people  do  in  churches,  and  when  they 
get  home  they  cannot  tell  what  the  minister  has  said. 

Jesus  calls  the  good  words  spoken  about  him  "  the 
seed."  How  many  seeds  of  knowledge  I  have  tried  to 
give  you  !  If  you  have  not  listened,  they  have  not  been 
planted  in  your  hearts. 


148    Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

Would  this  little  seed  [showing  one]  grow  to  be  a 
beautiful  plant,  and  have  flowers  and  fruit,  if  I  should 
lay  it  on  the  hard,  dry  ground  ?  It  would  7iot  grow. 
A  bird  might  come  and  take  it  away. 

Somebody  will  surely  come  and  try  to  take  away  the 
words  about  Jesus  which  I  want  to  put  into  your  hearts. 
Who  will  ?  Satan.  He  wants  your  hearts  to  be  like 
hard  ground.  He  is  not  willing  to  have  any  words 
about  Jesus  make  your  acts  and  words  loving  and  kind. 
Then,  do  you  think  Satan  takes  away  from  you  the 
words  I  speak  to  you  about  Jesus  .^  God  says  to  you, 
"  He  that  hath  ears  to  hear,  let  him  hear." 

CLASS    EXERCISE. 

What  have  I  in  my  hand.?  A  seed.  If  you  plant  the 
seed  what  will  it  do }  How  many  of  you  have  ever 
planted  a  seed .?  Is  it  best  to  plant  seeds  on  a  stone 
where  there  is  a  very  little  earth,  or  pretty  deep  down  in 
the  ground }  What  would  happen  to  a  little  plant 
growing  on  a  stone  when  the  hot  sun  would  shine  on 
it.-*  It  would  tvither  and  die.  I  think  I  can  show  you 
that  you  are  sometimes  like  that  poor  little  plant.  How 
many  of  you  have  ever  promised  yourselves,  when  you 
have  been  learning  about  Jesus  in  the  Sunday-school, 
that  you  would  never  again  get  angry,  nor  strike  any  one, 
nor  do  any  thing  naughty  .?  How  many  of  you  have  felt 
so  }  When  you  get  home  did  not  something  happen  to 
trouble  you  or  displease  you  that  made  you  do  just  the 
wrong  things  you  had  promised  not  to  do.?  Does  your 
goodness  last  a  long  time  or  a  short  time  1  Does  th.e 
little  plant  growing  on  a  stone   live  a  long  time  or  a 


Tivelve  Lessons  on  the  Life  of  CJirist.        149 

short  time  ?  A  short  time.  So  you  see,  after  all,  you 
are  much  like  the  little  plant  that  is  soon  withered. 
This  is  because  you  try  to  do  right  without  asking  Jesus 
to  help  you.  What  does  Jesus  call  the  words  which  are 
spoken  to  little  children  by  their  Sabbath-school  teach- 
ers 1  The  seed.  What  kind  of  acts  do  your  teachers 
want  the  seed  to  make  you  do  ?  What  kind  of  words 
do  they  hope  the  seed  will  make  you  speak .''  How 
will  it  be  with  the  child  who  does  not  ask  Jesus'  help  1 

THE    CLOSING    EXERCISE. 

"  He  that  hath  ears  to  hear,  let  him  hear."  What  do 
you  hear  ticking .?  Could  you  hear  the  clock  ticking  if 
we  should  all  sing.?  No.  Would  the  clock  stop  tick- 
ing as  soon  as  we  began  to  sing  "i  No.  Why  could  we 
not  hear  it  then  1  Because  loud  iioises  cover  up  little 
noises.  Sometimes  when  you  are  in  Sunday-school,  I 
might  say  that  your  thoughts  are  full  of  great  noises, 
not  real  noises  like  singing  or  clock  ticking,  but  full  of 
play,  new  clothes,  new  toys,  what  you  will  do  when  you 
get  home,  etc.,  so  that  when  I  talk  to  you  about  Jesus 
you  do  not  hear.  Sometimes  when  I  have  just  got  done 
speaking  I  ask  you.  What  did  I  say  1  Often  you  cannot 
tell.  When  Jesus  was  here  on  earth  he  made  a  picture 
of  people  who  do  so.  Shall  I  tell  you  about  it .?  He 
said  good  words  spoken  of  him  while  grown  people  or 
little  children  were  thinking  of  other  things  were  like 
seeds  being  planted  among  thorns  and  weeds.  If  you 
were  old  enough  to  know  about  a  garden  you  would 
know  that  seeds  cannot  grow  up  among  thorns  and 
make  fine   plants  with   lovely   flowers,   but  you  would 


150    Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

know  that  thorns  and  weeds  kill  good  plants.  So 
thoughts  about  play  and  dress  in  Sunday-school  keep 
the  words  about  Jesus,  which  are  spoken  to  you,  from 
growing  into  good  words  and  acts.  What  are  thoughts 
of  dress  and  play  in  Sunday-school  or  church  like .? 
Like  thorns  a/id  weeds.  If,  then,  we  have  these  wrong 
thoughts,  what  will  words  spoken  about  Jesus  be  like.'* 
Like  the  seeds  planted  among  thorns  and  weeds. 

Jesus  wants  you  not  only  to  hear  the  words  about 
him,  but  he  wants  you  to  be  doers  too.  I  will  print  on 
the  blackboard  what  God  says  to  you  about  this  : — 


Be  Ye  DOERS  of  THE  WORD, 

AND 

NOT  HEARERS  ONLY. 


Can  those  who  do  not  listen  in  Sunday-school  be 
"  doers  ?  "  How  long  can  those  who  do  not  ask  Jesus 
to  help  them  be  *'  doers  ?  "  Will  those  who  think  about 
play  and  dress  more  than  any  thing  else  be  "  doers  ?  " 
7Vo.  Who,  then,  are  the  *'  doers  ?  "  Those  who  listen  in 
Sunday-school^  and  do  not  think  about  dress  and  play^ 
and  then  go  home  and  ask  Jesus  to  help  them  be  good. 
Jesus  calls  their  hearts  "  good  ground,"  and  he  says  the 
words  which  they  hear  about  him  are  "  like  good  seed 
sown  in  good  ground."  Read  now  again  God's  words 
from  the  blackboard.  Good  seed  sown  in  good  ground 
makes  flowers  and  fruit.  Jesus  says  when  his  seed  is 
sown  in  good  hearts  it  will  make  the  fruit  of  loving  acts 
and  kind  words.  How  many  of  you  want  to  be  "  doers  " 
of  the  word } 


Twelve  Lessons  on  the  Life  of  Christ.       151 

VII. 

Subject, — The  Widow's  two  Mites. 

Golden  Text. —  i  Cor.  xvi,  2. 

Ce7itral  Thought. — Christ's  Standard  of  Benevolence. 

LESSON    PLAN. 

I.  To  prepare  the  children  to  understand  Jesus'  teaching  about 
benevolence.  2.  To  tell  the  story  of  the  widow,  who  gave  Jesus 
occasion  to  instruct  his  disciples  upon  benevolence.  3.  To  give  the 
standard  of  benevolence  which  Jesus  gave  to  his  disciples.  4.  To 
lead  the  children  to  make  an  application  to  themselves  of  Jesus' 
teaching. 

INTRODUCTORY    EXERCISE. 

I  think  you  all  know  what  this  is,  [The  teacher  holds 
up  a  toy  bank.]  How  many  of  you  liave  such  banks  at 
home  1  If  you  have  not  now,  perhaps  you  have  had. 
Do  you  put  money  into  banks  to  spend  yourselves  or 
for  others  to  spend  .'' 

Listen  to  what  the  Bible  tells  us  to  do  :  "  Upon  the 
first  day  of  the  week,  let  every  one  of  you  lay  by  him, 
in  store,  as  God  hath  prospered  him."  By  these  words, 
God  teaches  us  that  we  ought  to  put  money  away  for 
others  to  spend.  Some  churches  have,  near  the  door,  a 
large  bank  or  box,  into  which  people  put  money  as  they 
pass  in — money  for  God's  Church  to  spend  in  doing  good. 

I  know  of  a  lady  who  keeps  a  bank  for  God  in  her 
own  home,  and  she  puts  a  good  deal  of  money  into  it. 

If  you  would  do  as  God  tells  you,  you  will  bring  some 
money  to  Church  or  Sunday-school  every  Sunday. 
"  Upon  the  first  day  of  the  week,  let  every  one  of  you 
lay  by  him,  in  store,  as  God  hath  prospered  him," 

Do  any  of  you  know  what  name  is  given  to  the  church 


152     Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

or  money  box  ?  An  ahns  box.  Jesus  calls  it  a  treasury. 
Where  did  I  say  the  treasury  is  kept  ?  Has  our  church 
a  treasury  ? 

Your  teachers  are  willing  to  tell  you  what  Jesus  saw 
put  into  a  treasury  one  day. 

THE    LESSON    TAUGHT. 

Before  I  tell  you  about  Jesus  I  want  you  to  tell  me 
something.  Would  you  think  it  kind  for  a  little  boy, 
who  had  a  basket  full  of  apples,  all  his  own,  to  give  some 
to  his  little  friends  }  Yes  ?  Do  you  not  think  it  would 
be  even  kinder  if  a  boy  had  only  one  apple  and  he 
should  cut  it,  and  give  the  pieces  to  his  little  friends, 
keeping  only  one  piece  for  himself.?  Which  boy  do  you 
think  would  show  the  most  love,  the  one  who  gave  away 
many  apples,  or  the  other,  who  gave  away  many  pieces  of 
one  apple  1  The  o?ie  who  gave  away  many  pieces.  Why  } 
Because  he  would  not  have  so  much  left  for  himself.  I 
have  known  little  children  happy  to  give  away  all  of 
any  thing. 

Now,  I  will  tell  you  what  Jesus  saw  put  into  the  treas- 
ury. One  day  Jesus  sat  down  near  the  door  of  the 
temple,  to  look  at  the  people  as  they  stopped  to  put 
their  money  into  the  treasury.  Some  persons  put  in  very 
much  money — gold  and  silver — they  were  rich. 

But  as  Jesus  sat  watching,  a  poor  widow  came  and 
dropped  in  two  mites,  a  very  little  money. 

I  have  here  two  paper  mites,  the  same  size  as  those  the 
widow  had,  but  her  mites  were  made  of  metal.  [Let 
two  round  papers,  one  half  inch  in  diameter,  be  shown 
to  the  children.] 


Twelve  Lessons  on  the  Life  of  Christ.       153 

Jesus  was  watching  the  poor  widow.  Do  you  believe 
he  thought  what  a  mean  woman  she  was  not  to  put  in 
more,  when  so  many  were  putting  in  piles  of  gold  and 
silver  ?  No,  he  did  not ;  he  looked  into  the  widow's 
heart,  and  read  there  that  the  two  mites  were  all  the 
money  she  had.  No  rich  man  gave  all  the  money  he 
had.  If,  then,  the  widow  gave  all  she  had,  how  many  of 
you  think  she  gave  more  than  any  rich  man,  although  it 
did  not  count  so  much  ? 

The  two  mites  were  more  than  the  gold  when  Jesus 
counted  them  ;  they  counted  more  in  what  1  They 
counted  more  in  love. 

You  know  we  were  talking  about  two  little  boys  and 
some  apples  a  few  moments  ago.  Which  of  those  boys 
was  the  widow  somewhat  like  1 

I  will  try  to  draw  a  picture  of  two  mites  counting 
more  than  much  gold  and  silver. 

[If  the  teacher  has  a  small  class,  let  the  slate  be  used  in  place  of  the  blackboard 
and  upon  it  draw  a  balance.  On  one  of  the  scales  make  many  little  dots,  repre- 
senting much  gold  and  silver  ;  on  the  other  draw  a  heart  and  two  dots,  represent- 
ing the  two  mites.     Draw  the  latter  scale  so  that  it  seems  to  outweigh  the  other.] 

Jesus  looked  into  the  hearts  of  many  who  gave  much 
gold  and  saw  that  they  did  not  give  it  with  love.  What 
did  he  read  in  the  widow's  heart  "i 

And  Jesus  counted  the  mites  to  be  so  much,  because 
of  the  love,  that  he  called  his  disciples  to  him,  to  tell 
them  about  the  widow.  Shall  I  read  to  you  what  Jesus 
said  .'     [Teacher  reads  Mark  xii,  43,  44.] 

Now  think  very  carefully  or  you  will  answer  my  ques- 
tions wrong.  Would  Jesus  have  been  better  pleased  if 
the  rich  men,  too,  had  cast  in  two  mites  .** 


154    Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

When  will  Jesus  count  a  gift  of  gold  or  silver  for  a 
great  deal  ? 

When  does  Jesus  like  a  small  gift  better  than  a  large 
one  ? 

THE  CLOSING    EXERCISE. 

Where  were  the  people  putting  their  money  when 
Jesus  looked  at  them  ? 

In  our  church  [or  Sunday-school]  we  have  no  "  treas- 
ury," but  where  do  we  put  the  money  which  we  bring? 
How  is  it  spent  ? 

[A  few  minutes  might  now  be  very  profitably  spent  in  giving  the  children  3 
brief  outline  of  the  plan  of  the  benevolence  of  the  Church  or  Sunday-school.  We 
are  quite  confident  that  every  Sunday-school  class  should  be  cultured  in  definite 
and  continuous  giving.] 

I  thought,  before  I  came  here  to-day,  that  I  should  tell 
you  about  the  missionaries ;  and  I  thought,  too,  perhaps 
you  would  like  to  see  some  missionaries,  so  I  have 
brought  fifty  to  show  you !  I  have  them  here,  right 
under  my  handkerchief.  Every  Sunday  you  may  send 
one,  two,  three,  four,  five,  or  more  missionaries  to  give 
the  Bible  to  people  who  do  not  know  about  God.  Many 
of  these  missionaries  together  bought  a  ship  and  filled 
it  with  Bibles,  and  people  to  teach  about  God,  and  sent 
them  to  far-away  countries  where  people  did  not  know 
any  better  than  to  eat  each  other.  How  many  of  you 
would  like  to  see  some  of  these  wonderful  missionaries 
that  can  do  so  much }  [Teacher  lifts  the  handkerchief.] 
What  are  they  .5*  Pennies!  Yes,  pennies  are  the  mis- 
sionaries that  help  us  to  do  so  much  for  God.  Two  pen- 
nies are  somewhat  like  two  mites,  because  they  do  not 
make  much  if  we  count   them    so :  one,  two ;  but  will 


Twelve  Lessons  on  the  Life  of  Christ.       155 

Jesus  count  them  as  I  do  if  they  are  given  with  love  ? 
No.  What  makes  you  think  Jesus  will  count  them  so 
that  they  will  make  a  great  deal  ?  Will  it  be  right  for 
us  to  give  God  a  small  gift  when  we  have  enough  money 
to  give  him  a  large  gift  ? 

The  Bible  tells  us  how  much  we  ought  to  give  to  God. 
Would  you  like  to  know  ?  [Teacher  reads  i  Cor.  xvi,  2,] 
'•  Upon  the  first  day  of  the  week  let  every  one  of  you 
lay  by  him  in  store,  as  God  hath  prospered  him."  That 
is,  when  God  makes  us  able  to  earn  much  money,  we 
ought  to  give  large  gifts  in  church  and  Sunday-school ; 
and  when  we  are  not  able  to  earn  much  money,  God  will 
count  little  gifts  with  much  love  to  be  a  great  deal,  just 
as  he  did  the  widow's  two  mites.  How  many  of  you 
will  try  to  remember  how  much  you  ought  to  give  to 
God,  and  what  you  ought  to  give  with  your  gifis  1 

I  will  tell  you  of  two  mites  that  you  can  give  to  God, 
so  that  all  you  have  shall  be  his ;  that  is  the  gift  that 
w^ill  please  him  best.  The  two  mites  are  your  soul  and 
your  body ;  give  your  heart  to  do  his  way,  and  teach 
your  hands  and  lips  and  feet  to  w^ork  for  him. 


VIII. 

Subject.— i:\i^  Withered  Fig  Tree. 

Golden  Text. — Gal.  v,  22,  23. 

Cejitral  Thought. — The  Master  Looks  for  Fruit. 


LESSON    PLAN. 


The  Introductory  Exercise  will  prepare  the  childien  to  know  that 
God  looks  for  fruit  from  the  fruit-trees  of  the  garden  ;  afterward,  they 
are  told  the  story  of  the  fig-tree  which  failed  to  have  fruit.     Second. 


156    Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

teach  that  God  looks  among  the  people  he  has  made  for  the  fruit  of 
the  Spirit.  Third,  teach  what  the  fruit  of  the  Spirit  is.  Fourth, 
teach    that  without  abiding  in  Christ  one  cannot  bear  that  fruit. 


THE    introductory    EXERCISE. 

Who  made  this  world,  and  all  the  things  and  people  in  it  ? 

Can  you  tell  the  name  of  that  lovely  garden  which  God 
made  for  the  first  man  ?     £den. 

The  Bible  tells  us  that  God  planted  in  that  garden 
*'  trees  pleasant  to  the  sight  and  good  for  food." 

What  trees  has  God  given  us  that  are  "  good  for 
food  ?  "  Peachy  plu7ti^  pear ^  apple.  They  are  also  pleas- 
ant to  the  sight. 

Now  try  to  name  other  trees  that  are  pleasant  to  the 
sight,  but  are  not  good  for  food.  Elm^  viaple^  oak.  We 
never  think  these  trees  are  "  naughty  "  because  they  do 
not  give  us  something  good  to  eat ;  but  if  the  trees  which 
God  has  made  to  be  good  for  food  should  make  leaves 
only,  what  would  you  think  ought  to  be  done  with  them  } 

How  many  of  you  would  like  to  hear  what  Jesus  said 
should  be  done  to  a  tree  which  had  been  made  good  for 
food,  and  yet  for  three  years  did  not  have  any  fruit .? 
[Let  the  parable  of  the  fig-tree,  as  found  in  Luke  xiii, 
6-9,  now  be  told.] 

THE    LESSON    TAUGHT. 

I  can  tell  you  of  what  Jesus  did  when  he  saw  another 
fig-tree  which  had  nothing  but  leaves.  How  many  of 
you  would  like  to  hear  me  talk  about  it,  and  read  about 
it  from  the  Bible  .''  I  have  brought  some  figs  to  show 
you  what  kind  of  fruit  it  should  have  had,  but  it  had 
only — what  .^     Leaves. 


Twelve  Lessons  on  the  life  of  Christ.  157 

[The  teacher  should  now  tell  the  story  of  the  lesson,  having  in  mind  the  following 
outline  :  The  journey  of  Jesus  and  the  disciples  ;  their  hunger;  seeing  the  fig-tree 
afar  off;  searching  for  fruit ;  finding  none  ;  Jesus'  words  to  the  tree  ;  the  wither- 
ing away  ;  the  passing  by  in  the  morning. 

Young  children  need,  more  than  any  other  class  of  pupils,  to  be  held  to  attention 
by  the  power  of  a  teacher's  eye  ;  but  when  they  are  thoroughly  interested  they 
will  attend  to  reading.  The  teacher  should,  as  often  as  possible,  read  from  the  Bi- 
ble, instead  of  giving  the  entire  lesson  in  his  own  words. 

It  would  add  much  to  the  impressiveness  of  this  lesson  to  have  a  little  withered 
tree  to  show  to  the  children.  Get  a  little  tree  early  in  the  week  and  set  it  in  a 
warm  place,  where  the  process  of  the  withering  will  go  on  rapidly. 

It  may  be  possible  for  some  teachers  to  get  actual  fig-trees  from  green-houses 
or  conservatories,  in  which  case  the  withering  of  the  tree  need  not  be  illustrated, 
but  rather  the  manner  of  fruit.] 

What  two  kinds  of  trees  has  God  made  ?  Those  pleas- 
ant to  the  sight  and  good  forfood^  and  those  only  pleasant 
to  the  sight. 

There  are  two  kinds  of  people,  too.  Those  who  are 
always  promising  God  how  good  they  are  going  to  be 
and  how  much  they  are  going  to  do  for  him,  but  who 
go  away  and  forget  about  their  promises.  Are  they  like 
the  fig-tree  which  had  only  leaves,  or  are  they  like  other 
trees,  that  have  fruit  as  well  as  leaves  .'' 

I  want  to  show  you  a  picture  of  a  promise.  [A  leaf 
cut  out  of  green  paper  with  a  few  veins  drawn  upon  it, 
and  in  the  veins  this  promise  written,  "  I  will  be  good 
like  Jesus."] 

The  other  kind  of  people  promise  God  many  things, 
and  they  do  just  as  they  promise.  Are  they  like  trees 
that  have  fruit  or  nothing  but  leaves  .'' 

Does  God  want  us  to  give  him  only  leaves,  or  leaves 
and  fruit  too  "? 

The  Bible  tells  us  just  what  kind  of  fruit  God  wants 
to  see  in  us  :  "  the  fruit  of  the  Spirit."  This  fruit  of  the 
Spirit  is  love — love  for  God  and  for  every  body ;  joy, 
that  is,  being  glad  when  we  think  of  Jesus  and  what  he 


158    Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

has  done  for  us;  peace,  that  is,  being  happy,  because 
our  heavenly  Father  loves  us  and  is  taking  care  of  us  ; 
long  suffering,  that  is,  not  getting  angry  with  people  and 
things  that  trouble  us.  Say  after  me  love  ;  joy  ;  peace  ; 
long-suffering. 

Other  fruit  of  the  Spirit  is  gentleness,  goodness,  and 
faith.  And  yet  there  are  two  other  kinds  of  the  fruit  of 
the  Spirit.  One  is  meekness,  that  is,  slow  to  get  angry ; 
and  temperance,  that  is,  doing  nothing  that  will  make 
us  forget  God. 

Let  us  say  now  together  all  the  fruit  God  wants  to 
find  in  us :  the  fruit  of  the  Spirit  is  love,  joy,  peace, 
long  suffering,  gentleness,  goodness,  faith,  meekness, 
and  temperance. 

This  is  the  picture  of  what  ?  [Again  showing  the 
leaf.]  A  promise.  Read  the  promise,  "  I  will  be  good 
like  Jesus." 

On  the  other  side — I  will  turn  it  over — was  the  fruit 
which  Jesus  had.  [The  fruit  of  the  Spirit,  arranged  as 
a  cluster  of  nine  grapes,  in  each  grape  one  of  the  virtues 
written.] 

Let  us  read.     [Teacher  reads,  and  children  repeat.] 

How  many  of  you  are  going  to  try  to  be  like  Jesus  ? 

Here  is  a  picture  of  your  promise,  "  I  will  be  good 
like  Jesus."  [Showing  the  leaf  as  before.]  Now,  if  you 
go  away  and  forget,  your  promises  will  be  like  the  leaves 
on  the  fig-tree,  only  promises  and  no  fruit.  What  did 
Jesus  tell  the  fig-tree  it  should  never  do  any  more  } 

There  is  a  time  coming  to  us,  if  we  do  not  have  the 
fruit  of  the  Spirit,  when  God  will  say.  Your  promises 
will  do  no  longer ;  let  no  fruit  grow  on  thee  hencefor- 


Twelve  Lessons  on  the  Life  of  Christ.         159 

ward  forever.  And  then  never  more  can  we  have  love, 
joy,  peace,  long  suffering,  gentleness,  goodness,  faith, 
meekness,  and  temperance. 

THE  CLOSING    EXERCISE. 

The  teacher  with  the  Primary  Superintendent,  sings  : 

''NOTHING   BUT   LEAVES!" 

Nothing  but  leaves  '  the  Spirit  grieves 

Over  a  wasted  life  ; 
O'er  sins  indulged  while  conscience  slept, 
O'er  vows  and  promises  unkept, 

And  reaps  from  years  of  strife 
Nothing  but  leaves, 

Nothing  but  leaves. 

Nothing  but  leaves  !  no  gathered  sheaves 

Of  life's  fair  ripening  grain  ; 
We  sow  our  seeds  ;  lo  !  tares  and  weeds, 
Words,  idle  words  for  earnest  deeds  ; 

We  reap  with  toil  and  pain 
Nothing  but  leaves, 

Nothing  but  leaves. 

Ah  !  who  shall  thus  the  Master  meet, 

Bearing  but  withered  leaves  ? 
Ah  !  who  shall  at  the  Saviour's  feet. 
Before  the  awful  judgment-seat, 

Lay  down  for  golden  sheaves 
Nothing  but  leaves, 

Nothing  but  leaves? 

Which  will  we  give  to  God,  promises  only,  or  prom- 
ises and  fruit } 

What  fruit  }  The  fruit  of  the  Spirit.  What  is  the 
fruit  of  the  Spirit }     Love,  joy^  peace,  etc. 

How  many  of  you  would  like  to  have  this  Christ-like 


i6o     Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

fruit  instead  of  naughty,  wicked  ways  ?  This  vine  will 
help  me  to  tell  you  how  you  may. 

How  many  grapes  do  you  see  on  this  piece  of  vine  ? 
None.  No  grapes  grew  on  it,  because  it  was  cut  off 
the  large  vine.  It  has  done  nothing  but  die  since  it 
was  cut  off. 

Look  at  this  little  branch  of  the  same  vine;  how  full 
of  fruit  it  is  !  Because  it  was  left  with  the  large  vine  it 
has  such  beautiful  and  delicious  grapes.  If  it  had 
been  cut  off,  like  the  other,  it  would  not  have  had  fruit 
either,  but  the  large  vine  helped  this  little  branch  to 
grow  the  grapes. 

Jesus  says  to  us,  "  I  am  the  vine ;  ye  are  the  branch- 
es; he  that  abideth  in  me  and  I  in  him,  the  same 
bringeth  forth  much  fruit."  What  fruit  do  you  think, 
little  ones  .?      The  fruit  of  the  Spirit. 

And  what  is  the  fruit  of  the  Spirit  } 

Why  did  this  branch  have  no  fruit  1 — (the  withered 
one.)  Listen  to  what  Jesus  says,  "  He  that  abideth  in 
me  and  I  in  him,  the  same  bringeth  forth  much  fruit; 
for  without  me  ye  can  do  nothing."  If  we  will  stay  close 
to  Jesus  in  love  and  prayer,  he  will  help  us,  the  branch- 
es, to  bear  the  fruit  of  the  Spirit ;  but  if  we  forget  him, 
and  wander  away,  we  shall  bear  nothing  but  leaves,  for 
without  him  we  can  do  nothing. 

I  will  draw  on  the  blackboard  now  a  leaf  for  a  prom- 
ise, and  in  the  leaf  write  the  fruit  of  the  Spirit,  and 
around  it  write  some  of  Jesus'  words. 

[Write  within  the  outline  of  the  leaf  the  words  found 
in  John  xv,  5.] 


Twelve  Lessons  on  the  Life  of  Christ.        i6i 

IX. 

Subject. — The  Anointing  at  Bethany. 
Golden  Text. — Acts  x,  4, 

Central  Thought. — Our  good  works  are  acceptable  to 
God. 

LESSON   PLAN. 

I.  To  review  the  widow's  gift  of  two  mites.  2.  To  tell  of  the 
'•precious' gift  of  Mary  to  Jesus.  3,  To  teach  that  our  prayers  and 
alms  are  as  a  sweet  smelling  ointment  offered  to  God.  4.  To  teach 
that  prayers  and  alms  come  up  as  a  memorial  before  God  and 
anoint  him  King. 

INTRODUCTORY    EXERCISE. 

Who  put  two  mites  into  the  treasury  } 

Who  saw  her  do  it } 

Did  Jesus  tell  any  one  about  it } 

Whom  did  Jesus  see  besides  the  widow  casting  money 
into  the  treasury }  Did  they  give  large  or  small 
gifts  } 

Why  did  the  widow  not  put  in  more  than  two 
mites  } 

What  did  Jesus  tell  his  disciples  about  the  widow's 
gift? 

What  does  Jesus  count  to  be  more,  large  gifts  with- 
out love,  or  small  gifts  with  love }  What  are  God's 
words  about  how  much  we  ought  to  give  for  doing 
good  }  [Let  the  class  repeat,  after  the  teacher,  "  Upon 
the  first  day  of  the  week,  let  every  one  of  you  lay  by 
him  in  store,  as  God  hath  prospered  him."] 

Learn  to-day  of  another  woman  who  showed  her  love 

by  her  gifts. 
11 


1 62     Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

THE    LESSON    TAUGHT. 

Do  you  all  know  what  perfume  is  ?  [The  teacher 
might  have  some  perfume  on  her  handkerchief,  or  in  a 
bottle,  to  let  the  children  smell  of,  thus  gaining  their 
attention  at  once.] 

I  have  been  reading  in  the  Bible  to-day  of  a  woman 
whose  name  was  Mary.  She  bought  a  beautiful  white 
alabaster  box,  filled  with  smelling  paste  or  ointment.  It 
cost  a  great  deal  of  money ;  as  much  as  one  man  could 
earn  in  a  year. 

How  many  of  you  are  wondering  why  Mary  bought 
the  box  of  ointment  ? 

She  brought  it  with  her  when  she  came  into  Simon's 
house,  where  Jesus  was  at  the  table  eating.  Do  you 
think  she  gave  it  to  Jesus  ?  Yes.  I  suppose  you  are 
thinking  that  Mary  handed  the  box  to  Jesus  and  told 
him  it  was  a  present — eh  ?  But  that  was  not  the  way 
Mary  gave  it.  She  broke  the  box  open,  and  poured 
the  sweet-smelling  ointment  on  Jesus'  head  and  feet,  and 
she  wiped  his  feet  with  her  long  hair. 

How  many  of  you  think  that  Mary  showed  a  great 
deal  of  love  for  Jesus  ? 

The  Israelites  used  to  pray  by  offering  perfume  to  God. 
Instead  of  praying  by  words  as  we  do,  they  prayed  by 
burning  sweet  perfumes  ;  the  smoke  going  up  to  heaven 
took  their  prayers  to  God.  God  told  them  they  should 
pray  in  that  way.  How  does  God  want  us  to  pray  ? 
By  words  spoken  with  Jesus'  name.  When  our  prayers 
come  up  to  God,  they  are  like  sweet--smelling  incense  to 
him.     And  so  are  all  our  gifts  to  the  Church  and  every 


Twelve  Lessotis  on  the  Life  of  CJirist.        163 

thing  we  do  for  him.  Then  let  us  call  our  prayers 
and  alms  the  sweet  ointment  which  we  have  to  give  to 
God. 

How  much  money  did  Mary  pay  for  her  box  of  oint- 
ment .''     As  much  as  a  man  could  earn  in  one  year. 

I  want  to  give  to  God  more  than  I  can  do  in  one 
year.  I  want  to  be  giving  to  him,  and  doing  for  him, 
all  the  years  of  my  life ;  do  not  you  .'' 

In  what  kind  of  a  box  did  Mary  bring  her  oint- 
ment .^ 

We  must  bring  our  prayers  and  alms  to  Jesus  in  a  red 
box.  Jesus  has  told  us  what  shape  he  wants  the  box  to 
be,  and  he  wants  it  to  be  filled  to  the  very  top  with 
prayers  and  good  thoughts.  I  have  made  a  pattern  to 
show  you  what  the  shape  of  the  box  should  be.  [A  red 
paper  heart.] 

Now  I  think  you  can  tell  what  the  red  boxes  are  in 
which  we  must  bring  our  prayers  and  gifts  and  works  to 
Jesus  }     Our  hearts. 

What  did  Mary  do  with  the  beautiful  white  box  be- 
fore she  could  take  out  the  ointment  .'*    She  broke  it. 

The  Bible  tells  us  that  God  is  best  pleased  with  a 
broken  heart.  A  heart  sorry  for  sin  is  a  broken  heart. 
How  many  of  you  think,  then,  that  you  have  broken 
hearts  1  When  a  heart  is  broken,  love  and  prayer 
and  good  works  will  be  coming  out  of  it  all  the 
while. 

In  whose  house  was  Jesus  when  Mary  brought  the 
alabaster  box  of  ointment .?  Jesus'  disciples  were  with 
him  there.  Judas  Iscariot,  one  of  the  disciples,  and  in 
whose  father's  house  Jesus  was,   said,  '*  Why  was  this 


164     Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

waste  of  ointment  ?  For  it  might  have  been  sold  for 
more  than  three  hundred  pence,  and  given  to  the 
poor ;  "  and  all  the  disciples  spoke  against  Mary.  Do 
you  think  it  was  a  waste  }  No.  It  is  not  a  waste  to 
give  any  thing  we  have  to  Jesus. 

Shall  I  read  to  you  what  Jesus  said  to  the  disciples 
about  Mary  .?  [The  teacher  reads  from  the  sixth  to  the 
ninth  verse  of  the  fourteenth  chapter  of  Mark.] 

The  perfume  which  I  have  with  me  to-day  will  soon 
go  away  and  we  shall  forget  all  about  it ;  but  the  per- 
fume which  Mary  brought  to  Jesus  will  never  be  for- 
gotten, for  Jesus  said  that  her  good  act  shall  be  spoken 
of  every-where  as  a  memorial  of  her.  That  is  why  you 
and  I  are  talking  of  it  to-day. 

Once  there  was  a  good  man,  named  Cornelius,  who 
gave  much  alms  and  prayed  to  God  always.  One  day 
he  saw  an  angel  of  God  coming  in  to  him  and  saying 
unto  him,  "  Cornelius  !  "  And  when  he  looked  on  him 
he  was  afraid,  and  said,  "  What  is  it.  Lord }  "  And  he 
said  unto  him,  "  Thy  prayers  and  thine  alms  are  come 
up  for  a  memorial  before  God."  And  there  was  great 
rejoicing  in  heaven  about  Cornelius's  prayers  and  alms. 
How  many  of  you  would  like  your  words  and  works  to 
come  up  for  a  memorial  before  God  and  have  them 
spoken  of  in  heaven  ? 

What  did  I  tell  you,  a  little  while  ago,  that  our 
prayers  and  alms  are  like  to  God  .'*  Like  siveet-smelling 
incense. 

Out  of  what  kind  of  a  box  must  we  take  our  prayers 
and  alms  }  Must  the  box  te  whole  or  broken  ?  When 
is  a  heart  broken  1 


Twelve  Lessons  on  the  Life  of  CJirist.        165 

Dear  ones,  if  we  do  as  Cornelius  did,  tliat  is,  give 
much  alms  and  prayers  always,  something  within  us 
will  whisper,  "  Thy  prayers  and  thine  alms  are  come 
up  for  a  memorial  before  God,'  and  when  our  names 
shall  be  spoken  of  in  heaven  there  will  be  great 
rejoicing. 

THE    CLOSING    EXERCISE. 

What  did  the  widow  give  because  she  loved  God  } 

What  did  Mary  give  .'* 

How  did  Mary  give  the  precious  ointment  to  Jesus  } 

Was  there  any  one  at  Simon's  house  who  was  not 
pleased  to  have  the  ointment  given  to  Jesus.'' 

Was  Jesus  pleased  with  Mary's  act .? 

What  did  Jesus  say  to  the  disciples  .i* 

In  the  days  long  ago,  when  the  people  were  going 
to  make  a  man  their  king,  they  put  oil  or  ointment 
upon  him.  Mary  had  taken  Jesus  for  her  king,  so  she 
anointed  him  with  ointment.  Jesus  is  my  king.  I 
anoint  him  with  my  prayers,  and  words,  and  works. 
Will  not  all  the  little  children  here  to-day  take  Jesus 
for  their  king.?  How  many  of  you  will  try  to  bring  to 
him  the  precious  ointment  of  your  prayers  and  words  } 
Will  he  know,  away  up  in  heaven,  what  we  are  trying  to 
do  for  him  away  down  on  this  earth .?  I  think  you  have 
been  learning  a  verse  that  tells  us  about  this;  try  to 
say  it :  ^^  Thy  prayers  and  thine  ab?is  have  come  up  for  a 
memorial  before  God" 

How  much  did  Mary  pay  for  the  ointment  which  she 
gave  her  king  .'*  As  much  as  one  ?nafi  could  earn  in  a 
year.     You  and  I  ought  to  give  our  whole  lives  to  Jesus, 


1 66     Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

our  king.  You  are  so  young  now,  that  if  you  live  until 
you  grow  to  be  old,  how  much  alms  and  many  prayers 
you  can  give  to  Jesus !  And  they  shall  come  up  as  a 
memorial  before  God  and  make  rejoicing  in  heaven  !  I 
am  sure  that  will  make  you  happier  than  for  father  or 
mother,  or  any  one  else,  to  tell  you  that  they  are  pleased 
with  you. 


Subject. — Jesus  the  King. 
Golden  Text. — Rev.  xvii,  14. 

Central  Thought. — The  invisible  glory  of  the  King  of 
kings. 

LESSON    PLAN. 
I.  To  talk  about  the  surroundings  of  a  king.     2.  To  teach  that 
because  Jesus'  kingly  belongings  were  not  visible,  he  suffered  perse- 
cution.    3.  To  talk  about  Jesus'  kingship,  and  the  glory  he  has  with 
the  Father. 

INTRODUCTORY    EXERCISE. 

[Let  the  teacher  bring  before  the  class  a  picture  of  a  king,  one  as  large  as  it 
is  possible  to  get.  While  the  children  are  looking  at  it,  let  them  be  asked  to 
name  what  they  see  the  king  has,  a  crown,  a  scepter,  rich  clothing,  etc.  After- 
ward they  may  be  led  to  name  other  appointments  of  a  king,  things  which  they 
know  about,  but  do  not  see  in  the  picture,  as  a  royal  palace,  a  court,  grand 
equipages,  etc.] 

Once  there  lived  a  man  who  called  himself  a  king; 
people  were  very  angry  because  he  called  himself  so, 
for  they  saw  no  crown  on  his  head,  nor  scepter  in  his 
hand  ;  he  wore  clothes  just  like  the  people  who  worked  ; 
indeed,  when  he  was  very  young,  and  until  he  was  thirty 
years  old,  he  had  been  a  carpenter.  The  people  saw  no 
throne  for  this  king,  but  instead,  he  sat  by  the  side  of  a 
well,  or  on  the  grass  when  he  was  tired.     They  did  not 


Twelve  Lesso?ts  on  the  Life  of  Christ.        167 

see  him  living  in  a  palace;  indeed,  he  told  them  that 
"  he  had  not  where  to  lay  his  head."  The  people  did 
not  see  this  man  who  called  himself  a  king  ride  in  grand 
carriages,  but  they  often  saw  him  walk  in  the  dusty 
road,  over  mountains  and  valleys,  until  he  was  foot-sore 
and  weary.  They  did  not  see  him  choosing  grand  lords 
and  ladies  for  his  friends,  but  instead,  fishermen,  and 
sinful  and  despised  people.  Was  he  or  was  he  not  a 
king,  what  do  you  think  .? 

[If  a  few  children  should  recognize  Jesus  in  the  description  thus  given,  it  will  be 
best  not  to  confirm  them  at  present,  as  a  certain  degree  of  curious  interest  may  still 
be  maintained  with  the  majority  of  the  class.] 

How  did  I  tell  you,  in  the  beginning,  the  people  felt 
toward  this  man  who  called  himself  a  king }  A?igry. 
Yes,  and  they  were  so  angry  about  it  that  they  paid  a 
man  thirty  pieces  of  silver  to  catch  him  and  bring  him 
to  them.  Then  they  took  him  before  their  governor, 
hoping  that  he  would  be  punished,  or,  perhaps,  killed. 
When  the  governor  saw  the  king  without  a  crown,  what 
do  you  think  he  asked  him  ? 

[Many  answers  will  probably  be  made  to  this  last  question,  possibly  the  right 
answer,  "  Art  thou  a  king,  then  ?  "  But  if  it  should  not  be  given,  let  it  be  read 
from  the  Bible  by  the  teacher.] 

Do  you  think  this  man  without  a  crown  on  his  head, 
without  a  scepter  in  his  hand,  without  a  palace,  without 
rich  clothing,  without  great  friends  or  grand  carriages ; 
do  you  think  he  would  dare  to  tell  the  governor  that  he 
was  a  king  ?  How  many  of  you  think  he  would  not  dare 
to  do  it  ?  [Many  hands  are  raised.]  He  did  dare  to 
answer,  "Thou  sayest  truly;  I  am  a  king."  When  he 
saw  that  the  governor  was  wondering  about  his   throne 


i68      Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

and  his  crown,  he  said,  "  My  kingdom  is  not  of  this 
world."     That  means  that  it  is  far  away  from  here. 

If  I  should  tell  you  the  name  of  that  King,  I  believe 
you  could  tell  where  his  kingdom  was.      His  name  was 

Jesus  !    Where  was  his  kingdom  }    In  heaven.    Yes, 

and  he  had  come  to  make  another  kingdom.  I  will  not 
ask  you  where  now. 

The  governor  told  the  people,  ''  I  find  no  fault  in 
him  at  all,"  and  he  would  not  punish  him.  Then  the 
people  gave  him  a  crown„  not  such  a  crown  as  you  are 
thinking  about,  but  a  crown  of  thorns  as  sharp  as  nee- 
dles. They  put  it  on  his  head  and  called  him  King, 
and  struck  the  crown  so  as  to  drive  the  thorns  into  his 
head. 

You  shall  hear  more  about  this  in  a  few  minutes. 

THE    CLOSING   EXERCISE. 

(By  the  Primary  Superintendent.) 

How  many  of  you  have  been  learning  about  this  king 
in  your  classes  }  [holding  np  the  picture  shown  in  the 
Introductory  Exercise.]  I  do  not  see  any  hands  up  ;  you 
must  have  been  learning  about  some  other  king.  I  think 
I  can  show  you  his  picture.  [A  picture  of  Christ  crowned 
with  thorns  is  shown.]  Where  is  Jesus'  kingdom  .?  How 
many  of  you  have  taken  him  for  your  king.?  [Hands 
raised.]  O  !  I  see  so  many  hands,  I  am  sure  a  part  of 
Jesus'  kingdom  must  be  here.  It  cannot  all  be  in  heaven, 
a  part  of  it  must  be  in  your  hearts.  I  remember  now 
that  Jesus  did  say,  if  any  one  would  love  him,  and  try 
to  do  as  he  commanded,  he  would  come  and  live  in 
that  heart ;  so  that  all   of  you  who  have  taken   Jesus 


Twelve  Lessons  on  the  Life  of  Christ.       169 

for  your  king  liave  a  part  of  his  kingdom  in  your 
hearts. 

I  have  here  a  picture  of  the  crown  which  the  angry 
people  put  upon  Jesus.  [Have  drawn  crowns  of  thorns 
and  laurel  interwoven.]  The  thorns  were  so  much 
sharper  than  they  look  to  be  in  the  picture.  How 
many  of  you  see  two  crowns .?  Do  they  both  seem  to 
be  made  of  thorns  .>  God  let  John  look  up  to  heaven, 
and  he  saw  many  crowns  on  Jesus'  head.  I  did  not 
know  how  many  of  Jesus'  heavenly  crowns  look,  and 
so  I  had  one  of  leaves  made,  such  as  great  kings  some- 
times wear,  a  crown  of  laurel. 

Do  you  think  when  John  was  looking  up  into  heaven 
he  saw  Jesus  in  working  clothes  .^  No.  John  tells  us 
in  the  Bible  that  he  saw  him  clothed  in  blood-red  gar- 
ments, and  John  said  he  saw  the  crowns  of  all  the  kings 
on  his  head.  Do  you  think  John  saw  him  walking  in 
the  dusty  way,  or  sitting  on  a  well  to  rest  .»*  No.  He  saw 
him  riding  on  a  white  horse,  such  as  kings  ride  on.  Do 
you  think  John  saw  sinful  and  wicked  people  following 
him  }  No.  John  has  written  in  the  Bible  that  he  saw 
the  whole  army  of  heaven  following  him  on  white  horses 
like  kings;  they  were  the  sinful  people  all  made  holy. 
Perhaps  you  will  follow  him  thus  some  day !  Every 
thing  in  Jesus'  kingdom  was  more  beautiful  than  John 
could  find  words  to  tell  about. 


170     Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

XI. 

Subject. — Jesus  on  the  Cross. 

Golden  Text. — Isa.  liii,  6. 

Central  Thought. — Heaven  opened  by  the  Cross. 

LESSON  PLAN. 

1.  To  awaken  fresh  interest  in  the  Cross.  2.  To  direct  that  inter- 
est from  the  cross  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world.  3.  To  teach  that 
all  who  would  be  saved  by  the  cross  of  Christ  must  present  their 
bodies  a  living  sacrifice. 

INTRODUCTORY    EXERCISE. 

If  you  should  come  to  Sunday-school  early  in  the 
morning,  before  light,  how  would  you  find  the  door.'* 
Locked.  Yes  ;  and  if  you  should  turn  the  door-knob 
many  times  and  knock,  knock,  knock,  you  could  not 
get  in.  If  it  were  not  for  Jesus  the  door  of  heaven 
would  be  locked,  and  we  could  never  hope  to  get  in. 

What  do  I  hold  in  my  hand  1  A  key.  It  is  the  key 
to  our  Sunday-school  room.  When  the  Sunday-school 
door  is  locked,  what  can  we  do  with  this  key.'*  I  am 
thinking,  perhaps,  you  would  like  to  see  the  key  which 
unlocks  the  door  of  heaven  ;  how  many  of  you  would  } 
I  cannot  show  it  to  you,  for  it  is  lost ;  for  it  was  left  on 
Mount  Calvary. 

Of  what  does  this  Sunday-school  key  seem  to  be 
made  1  Brass.  The  key  of  heaven  was  made  of  wood. 
This  Sunday-school  key  is  small,  only  as  long  as  my 
finger ;  the  key  of  heaven  was  longer  than  my  whole 
body.  The  key  of  heaven  was  not  shaped  like  our 
Sunday-school  key:  how  many  of  you  wish  you  might 
see  a  picture  of  it  1     I  believe  any  little  child  here  can 


Twelve  Lessons  o?i  the  Life  of  CJirist.        171 

make  something  like  it  out  of  these  two  strips  of  paper 
which  you  see  in  my  hand ;  will  some  one  try  ?  [A 
child  places  the  strips  so  as  to  make  a  cross.]  Yes, 
that  is  a  picture  of  the  key  of  heaven.  All  say  after 
me,  "  The  Cross  is  the  key  of  heaven." 

Your  teachers  are  waiting  now  to  tell  you  how  Jesus 
unlocked  heaven  with  such  a  key. 

THE   LESSON    TAUGHT. 

If  you  and  I  should  come  to  the  Sunday-school  door 
and  find  it  locked,  do  you  think  it  would  be  easy  for  us 
to  get  in  if  we  had  the  key?  How  many  of  you  think 
it  was  easy  for  Jesus  to  unlock  heaven  with  the  cross? 
How  many  of  you  think  it  was  hard  ?  Where  do  you 
think  Jesus  got  the  key?  [Many  different  answers 
will  probably  be  made.]  Those  angry  people  whom 
you  learned  about  last  Sunday  made  it.     Why  were  they 


angry 


They  did  not  know  they  were  making  the  key  of 
heaven  when  they  took  two  pieces  of  wood  and  nailed 
them  together.  Although  they  did  not  make  the  cross 
for  the  key  of  heaven,  Jesus  used  it  for  that.  Now  I 
am  going  to  tell  you  whether  or  not  it  was  hard  for 
Jesus  to  unlock  heaven. 

The  angry  people  told  him  to  take  up  the  heavy  cross 
and  carry  it  to  Mount  Calvary.  Jesus  sometimes  almost 
fainted  by  the  way,  for  his  back  was  cut  and  bleeding 
where  they  had  beaten  him  with  leather  whips.  And 
his  feelings  were  hurt  by  the  wicked  and  cruel  things 
that  had  been  said  about  him  and  to  him.  It  was  very 
hard  for  Jesus  to  carry  the  cross,  but  he  knew  what 


1/2    Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

nobody  else  did — that  it  was  the  key  of  heaven  ;  that 
made  him  willing  to  bear  it  and- suffer.  After  a  while 
they  met  a  man  named  Simon,  and  they  made  him  carry 
Jesus'  cross.  At  last,  when  the  crowd  of  angry  people 
reached  Mount  Calvary,  "  Jesus  was  stripped  naked  of 
his  clothes  ;  then  followed  the  most  awful  moment  of 
all.  He  was  lain  down  at  full  length  upon  the  imple- 
ment of  torture  ;  his  arms  were  stretched  along  the  cross- 
beams, and  at  the  very  center  of  the  open  palms,  first 
of  the  right,  then  of  the  left  hand,  the  point  of  a  huge 
iron  nail  was  placed,  which,  by  the  blow  of  a  mallet,  was 
driven  home  into  the  wood,  crushing  with  excruciating 
pain  all  the  fine  nerves  and  muscles  of  the  hands  through 
which  they  were  driven.  Then  the  legs  were  drawn 
down  at  full  length,  and  through  either  foot  separately, 
or  possibly  through  both  together,  as  they  were  placed 
one  over  the  other,  another  huge  nail  tore  its  way 
through  the  quivering  and  bleeding  flesh  .  .  .  and  then 
the  accursed  tree,  with  its  living  human  burden  hanging 
upon  it  in  helpless  agony  and  suffering,  was  slowly  raised 
up  by  strong  arms,  and  the  end  of  it  fixed  firmly  in  a 
hole  dug  deep  in  the  ground  for  that  purpose."  * 

[Let  the  teacher  here  add  the  incidents  given  in  the 
lesson  of  the  day.  See  John  xix,  25-30,  omitting,  how- 
ever, the  last-named  verse.] 

Jesus  would  have  hung  on  the  cross  for  two  or  three 
days  before  dying,  but  when  he  thought  of  all  the  wicked 
people  in  the  world  he  thought  of  you  and  me ;  then 
his  heart  broke,  and  he  died  after  he  had  been  on  the 
cross  only  six  hours.  He  died  of  a  broken  heart !  And 
*  Farrar's  "  Life  of  Christ." 


Twelve  Lessons  on  the  Life  of  CJirist.        173 

when  lie  died,  heaven   was  unlocked.     Was  it  hard  or 
easy  for  Jesus  to  unlock  heaven  ? 

THE    CLOSING    EXERCISE. 

The  children  and  teachers  sing, 

"  Alas  !  and  did  my  Saviour  bleed,"  etc. 

Now  that  heaven  is  unlocked,  will  there  be  room  for 
everybody  there  }  Yes.  Now  I  think  I  can  help  you 
to  know  who  will  be  there.  [The  teacher  calls  out  a 
little  boy  and  tells  him  to  stand  with  his  feet  close  to- 
gether, and  his  arms  stretched  out  horizontally  at  the 
side.]  Now  you  may  all  look  at  his  shape  and  tell  me 
what  it  is  like.  Like  a  cross  J  What  is  like  this  part  .J* 
[pointing  to  the  top  of  the  cross  drawn  on  the  black- 
board.] His  head.  And  these  two  parts  }  His  arms. 
Each  one  of  you  may  stand  in  the  shape  of  a  cross. 

We  must  act  like  crosses,  as  well  as  stand  like  them, 
if  we  want  to  get  into  that  heaven  which  Jesus  has  un- 
locked. What  can  we  do  with  this  part  of  our  crosses 
for  Jesus  1  [pointing  to  the  head.]  Think  about  hirn, 
read  about  him^  listen  to  words  about  him,  and  tell  others 
about  him.  What  can  we  do  with  these  parts  of  the 
cross  for  Jesus  7  [pointing  to  the  hands.]  What  can  we 
do  with  these  parts  }  [pointing  to  the  feet.]  Everybody 
who  lives  like  a  cross  will  be  in  heaven  which  Jesus  has 
unlocked. 

Now  your  teachers  will  give  you  each  a  little  paper 
"  key  of  heaven,"  (cross,)  which  has  on  it  the  verse 
for  you  to  learn  for  next  Sunday  about  Jesus  unlocking 
heaven.     How  many  of  you  will  try  to  learn  the  verse  ? 


174    Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

XII. 

Subject. — The  Risen  Lord. 
Golden  Text. — Rev.  i,  i8. 
Central  Thought. — Omnipresence. 

LESSON    PLAN. 

I.  The  introductory  exercise  is  intended  to  create  a  longing  for  the 
near  presence  of  Christ.  2.  To  !each  that  Jesus  satisfied  that  same 
longing  felt  by  the  apostles.  3.  To  teach  that  we  may  seek  and 
have  the  same  Spirit  of  consolation  and  help. 

INTRODUCTORY    EXERCISE. 

I  think  you  all  know  who  are  in  this  picture.  [Teacher 
shows  a  picture  of  Christ  blessing  little  children.]  And 
I  think  you  can  repeat  some  of  the  words  which  Jesus 
said  when  the  mothers  wanted  to  bring  the  little  ones 
to  him  :  "  Suffer  little  children  to  come  unto  me,  and 
forbid  them  not :  for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  God." 

How  many  of  you  have  heard  or  can  sing  that  little 
hymn  : 

"  I  think,  when  I  read  that  sweet  story  of  old, 
When  Jesus  was  here  among  men, 
How  he  called  little  children  as  lambs  to  his  fold, 
I  should  like  to  have  been  with  them  then. 

"  I  wish  that  his  hands  had  been  placed  on  my  head, 
That  his  arms  had  been  thrown  around  me  ; 
And  that  I  might  have  seen  his  kind  look  when  he  said, 
Let  the  little  ones  come  unto  me.'  " 

[If  the  hymn  is  known  let  these  two  verses  be  sung.] 

I  know  of  a  little  boy  who,  when  he  had  laid  his 
head  on  his  &oft>  clean  pillow  to  sleep  all  night,  said, 


Twelve  Lessons  on  the  Life  of  Christ         175 

**  Mamma,  if  Jesus  were  here  I  would  give  him  half  of 
my  pillow." 

How  many  of  you  wish  Jesus  were  here  on  earth  to- 
day ? 

Would  he  seem  nearer  to  you  than  he  does  now? 

THE    LESSON    TAUGHT. 

Can  any  little  child  tell  why  we  do  not  see  Jesus  here 
to-day  ?     Because  he  has  gone  to  his  Father. 

How  could  Jesus  go  to  his  Father  when  he  had  been 
crucified  and  lain  in  the  grave  ?  He  rose  fr 0171  the  dead 
after  three  days. 

Would  you  like  to  know  who  saw  him  first  after  he 
was  risen  from  th-e  dead  ?  Mary  Magdalene,  out  of 
whom  Jesus  had  cast  seven  devils.  She  came  to  Jesus' 
grave  weeping ;  "  and  as  she  wept,  she  stooped  down, 
and  looked  into  the  sepulcher,  and  seeth  two  angels  in 
white.  .  .  .  And  they  say  unto  her,  Woman,  why  weepest 
thou  .?  " 

"  She  saith  unto  them,  Because  they  have  taken  away 
my  Lord,  and  I  know  not  where  they  have  laid  him." 

[Let  the  teacher  complete  this  account  by  reading  from  the  twentieth  chapter 
of  John.] 

Would  you  like  to  know  who  besides  Mary  Magda- 
lene saw  Jesus  after  he  was  risen  from  the  dead .'' 

[Tell  briefly  about  Jesus  walking  and  talking  with  the  two  disciples  on  their 
way  to  Emmaus.     See  Luke  xxiv,  13-22.] 

There  were  others  who  saw  Jesus  after  he  was  risen 
from  the  dead.  Would  you  like  to  have  me  tell  you 
who  they  were,  and  where  they  saw  him  .? 

[Let  the  teacher  now  tell  about  Jesus'  appearance  to  the  apostles  at  Jerusalem, 
adding  to  Mark's  account  the  accompanying  incidents  recorded  by  Luke  and  John, 


176    Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

namely  :  Jesus  showing  his  hands  and  desiring  them  to  handle  him,  and  see  that 
he  was  not  a  spirit ;  the  eating  of  the  broiled  fish  and  honeycomb  ;  and  Thomas's 
doubtings.     Tell  them  of  the  five  hundred  who  saw  him.     i  Cor.  xv,  6.] 

How  many  of  you  want  to  know  how  long  Jesus  was 
on  earth,  after  he  was  risen  from  the  dead,  before  he 
went  to  his  father  ?  For  forty  days  he  was  seen  by  his 
apostles,  and  he  talked  with  them  about  the  work  they 
should  do  after  he  would  go.  After  those  forty  days, 
and  while  they  were  standing  together,  Jesus  was 
parted  from  them.  He  was  taken  up,  and  a  cloud  re- 
ceived him  out  of  their  sight. 

[Let  the  teacher  read  the  latter  part  of  the  account  from  the  Bible  to  the  children. 
See  Acts  i,  9.] 

When  he  reached  heaven  he  sat  down  at  the  right 
hand  of  God,  the  best  place  in  heaven. 

What  did  Jesus  say  the  disciples  should  have  power 
to  do  after  he  should  go  to  heaven  ?  I  see  you  have 
forgotten.  I  will  read  again  what  Jesus  promised  to 
make  them  able  to  do.  [Teacher  reads  Mark  xvi,  17, 
18.]  And  at  another  time,  Jesus  said  they  should  do 
the  same  things  and  greater  things  than  he  had  done. 
He  could  help  them  more  if  he  were  in  heaven  than 
if  he  were  on  the  earth. 

["  Christ  was  taken  from  the  earth,  not  because  his 
work  was  completed,  but  that  he  might  better  move 
the  world  from  the  altitude  of  the  heavens."  Christ 
manifested  greater  power  over  the  hearts  of  men  after 
he  had  ascended.  When  the  cloud  had  received  him  out 
of  their  sight,  the  disciples  "stood  gazing  up  into  heav- 
en." Before  this  they  had  looked  earthward  to  mira- 
cles and  ceremonies,  to  "the  seen  and  the  temporal;  " 
now  they  began  to  look  into  "  the  unseen  and  eternal." 


Twelve  Lessons  on  tJie  Life  of  Christ.        177 

"And  I,  if  I  be  lifted  up  from  the  earth,  will  draw  all 
men  unto  me."  That  passage  belongs  to  the  ascension 
as  well  as  to  the  crucifixion. 

These  few^  thoughts  have  been  written  ])articularly  for 
the  teachers'  own  hearts,  and  also  with  the  thought 
that  they  may  distill  them  as  drops  of  dew  upon  the 
hearts  of  their  little  pupils.] 

THE  CLOSING    EXERCISE. 

Do  you  not  think  the  disciples  were  lonely  when 
Jesus  was  gone ,''  Yes.  O,  no ;  he  could  send  his 
Spirit  into  their  very  hearts,  and  that  would  be  closer 
than  to  walk  by  their  side.  But  I  suppose  your  foolish 
little  hearts  are  wondering  how  Jesus  could  be  closer 
to  his  disciples  by  being  in  heaven  than  by  being  on 
earth  ;  but  Jesus  has  said  he  would,  and  that  ought  to 
be  enough  for  you  and  me. 

Perhaps  you  are  saying,  as  that  little  boy  did,  "  If 
Jesus  were  here  I  would  give  him  half  of  my  pillow ;  " 
or  perhaps  you  are  saying  as  the  little  child  in  the 
song  did  : — 

"  I  wish  that  his  hands  had  been  placed  on  my  head, 
That  his  arms  had  been  thrown  around  me; 
And  that  I  might  have  seen  his  kind  look  when  he  said, 
'  Let  the  little  ones  come  unto  me.'  " 

I  wish  you  w^ould  be  more  like  the  little  child  in  the 
hymn  I  am  going  to  repeat  to  you  now  : — • 

"  Dear  Jesus  !  ever  at  my  side  ; 

How  loving  thou  must  be 
To  leave  thy  home  in  heaven,  to  save 
A  little  child  like  me. 
12 


lyS     Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

'  Thy  beautiful  and  shining  face 

I  see  not,  though  so  near  ; 
The  sweetness  of  thy  soft,  low  voice 
I  am  too  deaf  to  hear. 

"  But  I  have  felt  thee  in  my  thoughts, 
Fighting  with  sin  for  me  ; 
And  when  my  heart  loves  God,  I  know 
The  sweetness  is  from  thee. 

"  Yes  ;  when  I  pray  thou  prayest  too  ; 
Thy  prayer  is  all  for  me  ; 
But  when  I  sleep  thou  sleepest  not, 
But  watchest  patiently." 

Like  which  one  will  you  be  ? 

Jesus  sent  the  Holy  Spirit  to  help  the  apostles  to  do 
their  great  duties  ;  and  he  will  send  the  same  Spirit  to 
help  you  in  your  little  duties  if  your  hearts  are  full  of 
faith  and  prayer,  to  help  you  believe  his  promises. 


PRIMARY  CLASS   CONCERTS. 


INTRODUCTORY   NOTE. 

"  What  can  the  Prhnary  class  do  at  a  Sunday-school  concert?" 
To  an  audience  there  is  a  charm  about  any  thing  which  little  chil- 
dren do.  Simply  their  winsome  ways  insure  appreciative  interest. 
Little  songs,  particularly  when  accompanied  by  motions,  always 
please.  Recitations  of  poems  at  times  are  good  ;  but  a  bright,  in- 
teresting lesson  given  by  their  teacher,  showing  the  older  pupils  how 
wee  ones  think  and  talk  in  Sunday-school,  would,  perhaps,  please 
best  of  all. 

The  primary  class  should  not  usually  occupy  more  than  half  an 
liour  at  a  concert.  The  exercises  which  follow  are  prepared  for 
that  tin>e  or  a  little  less.  Like  all  Sunday-school  concerts,  those  of 
a  primaiy  class  should  combine,  as  far  as  possible,  the  three  qualities 
of  unity,  instructiveness,  and  spirituality. 


L  CONCERT  ON  JESUS  OUR  SHEPHERD. 

I.  Dialogue  between  a  child  and  a  shepherd,  or  be- 
tween the  teacher  and  a  shepherd  : — 

Teacher.  Shepherd,  what  are  you  doing  to  your 
sheep  ? 

Shepherd.  I  am  leading  them  out  of  the  sheep- 
fold. 

T.  How  did  they  know  you  wanted  them  to  leave  the 
sb.eep-fold  } 

S.  I  do  not  drive  them,  (as  they  do  in  this  country,) 
I  go  before  them  ;  I  call  each  one  by  his  own  name  ; 
they  know  my  voice,  and  follow  me. 


i8o     Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

T.  Shei)]ierd,  what  would  your  slieep  do  if  a  stranger, 
instead  of  you,  should  call  them  to  follow  him? 

S.  They  would  not  follow  a  stranger  ;  they  would  turn 
and  run  from  him. 

T.  Where  do  }'our  sheep  get  something  to  eat  and 
water  to  drink  ? 

S.  I  lead  them  in  green  pastures  and  beside  still 
waters. 

T.  Can  the  little  lambs  walk  so  far,  shepherd  ? 

S.  I  carry  them  in  my  bosom  when  they  are  tired, 
and  then  their  mothers  walk  very  close  beside  me. 

T.  When  the  night  comes  on  what  do  you  do  with 
your  sheep  ? 

S.  I  take  them  to  the  fold. 

T.  Does  anybody  or  any  thing  ever  trouble  you  in 
taking  care  of  your  sheep  ? 

S.  Yes,  thieves  try  to  get  into  the  fold  to  steal  my 
sheep.  They  do  not  go  in  by  the  door,  but  climb  over 
the  wall.  I'he  wolf,  the  leopard,  and  the  panther,  when 
they  are  very  hungry,  will  leap  over  the  walls  of  the 
fold,  although  it  is  thickly  covered  with  thorns,  to  get 
some  of  my  sheep  to  eat;  but  T  am  always  ready  to 
fight  both  the  thieves  and  the  animals. 

[The  shepherd's  costume  might  be  easily  and  inex- 
pensively imitated  in  the  following  manner.  A  plain  cap 
cut  out  of  sheep-skin  with  the  wool  on,  a  skirt  of  blue 
cambric,  coming  to  the  knees,  sewed  together  at  the 
lower  part,  leaving  places  for  the  limbs  to  ppss  through  ; 
a  short  loose  sack  of  sheep-skin,  a  pair  of  long  stock- 
ings, a  pair  of  loose  slippers  or  sandals,  and  a  long  cane 
with  a  crook.l 


Primary  Class  Concerts.  i8i 

2.  Concert  Recitation  of  the  Twenty-third  Psalm. 

3.  Song — "  We're  the  Laml)s  of  the  Flock."  P.  43, 
Songs  for  Little  Folks. 

4.  Recitation  of  passages  of  Scripture  about  shci)- 
herds.  See  Gen.  iv,  2  :  Abel,  a  shepherd.  den. 
xii,  16  :  Abram,  a  shepherd.  Gen.  xiii,  5  :  Isaac,  a 
shepherd.  Exod  ii,  15-17  :  Moses  helping  the  shep- 
herdesses. I  Sam.  xvii,  15  :  David,  a  shepherd.  John 
X,  14:  The  Good  Shepherd.  John  x,  15,  last  clause; 
Ezek.  xxxiv,  12;  Matt,  xviii,  11-14;  John  x,  16,  last 
clause  ;    i  Peter  v,  4. 

5.  Song—"  He  Shall  Feed  His  Flock."  P.  47,  So?i-:s 
for  Little  Folks. 

6.  Recitation  : — 


'  Jesus  my  shepherd  is, 

'Twas  he  that  loved  my  soul, 
'  Twas  he  that  washed  me  in  his  blood, 

'Twas  he  that  made  me  whole  ; 
'Twas  he  that  sought  the  lost, 

That  found  the  wand'ring  sheep, 
'Twas  he  that  brought  me  to  the  fold, 

'Tis  he  that  still  doth  keep." 


7.  Recitation  : — 


' '  He  feedeth  his  flock  like  a  shepherd. 

The  weak,  by  his  mercy,  are  strong  ; 
He  comforts  the  hearts  in  afiliction, 

Their  wailing  he  changes  to  song. 
He  bends  with  an  eye  of  compassion, 

Whatever  our  trials  may  be, 
And  says,  while  he  pities  the  mourner, 

'  My  grace  is  sufficient  for  thee.' 


1 82     Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

"  '  He  feedeth  his  flock  like  a  shepherd,' 

And  succors  the  poor  and  oppressed  ; 
The  lambs  in  his  arms  he  will  gather, 

And  carry  them  safe  on  his  breast. 
With  clouds  of  temptation  around  us, 

Whatever  the  conflict  may  be, 
He  whispers  to  each,  in  his  goodness, 

'  My  grace  is  sufficient  for  thee.' 

"  '  He  feedeth  his  flock  like  a  shepherd,' 

And  giveth  the  weary  repose  ; 
He  leads  them  beside  the  still  waters, 

Where  pleasure  eternally  flows. 
His  banner  of  love  will  defend  us, 

W^hatever  the  danger  may  be, 
We  know,  for  his  word  has  declared  it, 

'  My  grace  is  sufficient  for  thee.' " 

8.  Recitation  : — 

"  See  the  kind  Shepherd,  Jesus,  stands 

With  all  engaging  charms  ; 
Hark,  how  he  calls  the  tender  lambs. 

And  folds  them  in  his  arms. 
The  feeblest  lamb  amid  the  flock 

Shall  be  its  Shepherd's  care  : 
While  folded  in  the  Saviour's  arms, 

We're  safe  from  every  snare." 

9.  Song  or  Recitation  by  four  pupils  .— 

Tune — "  Near  the  Cross.'' 

First  Pupil.  "  I  was  but  a  little  lamb, 

From  the  Shepherd  straying. 
When  I  heard  within  my  heart 

Some  one  softly  saying  : — 
*  Follow  me,  follow  me, 
I  will  safely  guide  thee 
Through  the  stormy  waves  of  life, 
Walking  close  beside  thee.'  " 


Primary  Class  Concerts.  183 


Scco)ui  Pupil.  "  Into  danger  I  would  go 

'  But  for  this  protection  ; 
I  should  miss  of  heaven,  I  know, 

But  for  this  direction  : 
"  Follow  me,  follow  me, 

I  will  safely  guide  thee 
Through  the  stormy  ways  of  life, 
Walking  close  beside  thee.'" 

Third  Pupil.   '  Never  turning  from  that  voice. 

Never  disobeying. 
Let  me  know  that  unto  me 

Christ  is  always  saying: 
'  Follow  me,  follow  me, 

I  will  safely  guide  thee 
Through  the  stormy  waves  of  life, 

Walking  close  beside  thee.'  " 

Fourth  Pupil.  "  Early  to  His  loving  care 

Shall  my  heart  be  given, 
For  each  step  I  take  with  him 

Brings  me  nearer  heaven. 
'  Follow  me,  follow  me,' 
Is  the  Saviour  saying 
Unto  every  little  lamb 

Who  from  him  is  straying." 

— yosephiue  Pollard. 

10.  Recitation  by  one  pupil : — 

"  The  Lord  is  my  Shepherd,  how  happy  am  I  ! 
How  tender  and  watchful  my  wants  to  supply  ; 
He  daily  provides  me  with  raiment  and  food  ; 
Whate'er  he  denies  me  is  meant  for  my  good. 

"  The  Lord  is  my  shepherd,  then  I  must  obey 
His  gracious  commandments,  and  walk  in  his  way ; 
His  fear  he  will  teach  me,  my  heart  he'll  renew, 
And  though  I  am  sinful,  my  sins  he'll  subdue. 

"  The  Lord  is  my  Shepherd,  how  happy  am  I  ! 
I'm  blest  while  I  live,  and  am  blest  when  I  die  ; 


184     Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

In  death's  gloomy  valley  no  evil  I'll  dread, 
For  I  will  be  with  thee,  my  Shepherd  hath  said. 

"  The  Lord  is  my  Shepherd,  I'll  sing  with  delight, 
Till  call'd  to  adore  him  in  regions  of  light  ; 
Then  praise  him  with  angels  on  bright  harps  of  gold, 
And  ever  and  ever  his  glory  behold." 

II.  Singing — "Saviour,  like   a    Shepherd   lead   Us.*' 
P.  31,  Songs  for  Little  Folks. 


II.  CONCERT   ON   PRAYER. 

1.  Chant — "The  Lord's  Prayer."  P.  51,  Songs /or 
Little  Folks. 

2.  Duet  and  Chorus — "  The  Child's  Prayer."  P.  37, 
Songs  for  Little  Folks. 

3.  Bible  Recitations  by  different  members  of  the 
class  : — 

Teacher.  What  is  prayer  .? 

Children,   i.  "Conversation  in  heaven."  Phil,  iii,  20. 

2.  "Talking  with  God."  Exod.  xxxii,  9-1 1. 

3.  "  Telling  Jesus."  Matt,  xiv,  12. 

4.  "  Speaking  in  the  heart."  i  Sam.  i,  13. 

5.  "  Drawing    near    to    God    with    the    heart." 

Heb.  x,  22. 

4.  Singing — "  Then  Tell  Jesus."  P.  ^^6.,  Songs  for 
Little  Folks. 

5.  Recitation  by  a  little  child — "  Dear  Jesus  ever  at 
my  Side."     (See  p.  61  of  this  book.) 

6.  Recitation  by  the  whole  class — "  Satan  hath  de- 
sired to  have  you  :  .  .  .  but  I  have  prayed  for  thee,  that 
thy  faith  fail  not."  Luke  xxii,  31,  2,2, 


Primary  Class  Concerts.  185 

7.  Singing  — "  Heavenl)^  P\T.ther,  Teach  thy  Little 
Child  to  Fray."     P.  27,  Son^:^s  for  Little  Folks. 

8.  Primary  Class  Lesson — Subject:   How  to  Pray. 
Golden  Text  :    i  Cor.  xiv,  15. 

Central  Thought  :  Prayer  is  the  sincere  desire  of  the 
heart. 

When  we  have  had  something  new,  or  something  has 
happened  in  our  homes,  how  can  we  tell  grandma  or 
aunty,  or  any  of  the  dear  friends  who  live  in  another 
city  t  We  can  write  letters.  Here  is  a  letter  [showing 
one]  that  came  to  me  from  my  mother,  who  lives  far 
away.  Whose  name  has  it  here  t  [pointing  to  the  su- 
perscription.] Yours.  Yes ;  the  postmaster  read  my 
name  and  sent  the  letter  to  me.  I  once  read  about  a 
postmaster  who  found  a  letter  in  the  post-office  directed 
"  To  God."  The  postmaster  could  not  send  letters  to 
God,  and  so  he  opened  the  letter  and  found  that  it  had 
been  written  by  a  little  boy  whose  father  and  mother 
were  dead,  and  he  wanted  God  to  take  care  of  him. 

Several  years  ago  my  grandfather  left  our  home  and 
went  to  God's  home.  When  1  knew  that  he  was  so  soon 
to  see  and  talk  with  Jesus,  whom  I  had  loved  so  long  and 
so  dearly,  I  thought  I  must  ask  him  to  say  something  to 
Jesus  for  me,  and  I  did  send  a  little  message.  How 
many  of  you  think  that  was  a  good  way  to  do  .''  But, 
after  all,  it  is  sweeter  and  better  to  talk  to  Jesus  our- 
selves than  to  send  messages  to  him  by  friends.  We 
need  not  be  afraid  that  he  will  not  hear,  for  he  is  so  near 
to  all  who  want  to  talk,  with  him  that  he  has  said, 
"  While  they  are  yet  speaking,  I  will  hear."  What  do 
we  call  talking  with  God  }     Praying. 


1 86     Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

There  are  three  ways  to  pray  ;  two  are  right,  and  one 
is  wrong.  I  think  you  sometimes  pray  when  you  are 
thinking  about  play  or  something  else  :  that  is  praying 
with  the  lips  and  without  tlie  heart.  The  second  way 
is  to  pray  in  the  heart  while  the  lips  pray.  The  third 
way  is  to  pray  in  the  heart,  while  the  lips  do  not  move. 
Which  do  you  think  is  the  wrong  way  }  To  pray  with  the 
lips  and  ivithoitt  the  heart.  Yes,  I  tliink  that  is  almost 
like  telling  a  lie  to  God.  How  does  God  want  us  to 
pray  .?  With  the  heart ;  luith  the  heart  and  lips  to- 
gether. If  little  children,  when  they  pray,  should  put 
their  hands  on  their  hearts  instead  of  this  way,  [imi- 
tating-the  usual  manner  of  folding  hands,]  I  do  not 
think  it  would  help  them  to  pray  right. 

Look  at  these  two  flowers.  They  look  exactly  alike. 
One  is  a  true  flower,  because  God  made  it  ;  and  the 
other  is  a  false  flower,  because  some  man  or  woman 
made  it.  Can  you  tell  which  is  the  real  one  and  which 
is  the  false  one  "^  [Let  them  be  so  exactly  alike  that  it 
will  be  impossible  to  do  this  by  simply  looking  at  them. 
A  carnation  makes  a  good  illustration.]  I  suppose  the 
bees  would  know  if  we  should  let  them  come  in.  That 
is  the  way  King  Solomon  once  did  to  find  out  which 
were  God's  flowers  and  which  were  false  flowers  in  two 
wreaths  that  looked  exactly  alike.  Which  wreath  of 
flowers  do  you  think  the  bees  went  to  as  soon  as  the 
windows  were  opened  and  they  came  in  1  I  will  let 
you  smell  of  these  two  flowers,  and  then,  perhaps,  you 
can  tell  me  which  is  the  true  flower.  [Let  the  flowers 
be  passed  around.]  Ah  !  I  see  you  know  all  about  it 
now.     Two  kinds  of  prayer  are  like  the  true  flower,  and 


Primary  Class  Concerts.  187 

one  kind  is  like  the  false  flower.  Which  kind  is  like 
the  false  flower  ?  Praying  without  the  heart.  Some- 
times, when  you  pray,  you  forget  what  to  say  next,  and 
have  to  begin  all  over  again.  Like  which  flower  is  your 
prayer  then  ?  Like  the  false  flawer.  Sometimes  you 
pray  when  you  are  so  tired  that  you  would  rather  go  to 
sleep.  Like  which  flower  is  your  prayer  then  .?  Some- 
times you  feel  very  sure,  while  you  are  praying,  that  God 
will  give  you  what  you  ask  for.  Like  which  flower  is 
your  prayer  then  ?  Like  the  true  flower.  Sometimes 
you  do  not  know  what  the  words  of  your  prayer  mean. 
Like  which  flower  is  your  prayer  then  .'* 

How  many  of  you  pray  every  day  .?  How  many  of 
you  pray  at  night  and  in  the  morning  too  .''  I  would  like 
to  hear  some  of  the  prayers  you  make.  [Allow  time  for 
several  to  be  repeated.]  Do  you  think  you  make  them 
false  or  true  prayers  .'* 

The  Bible  tells  us  to  "  Pray  with  the  spirit  and  with 
the  understanding;  "  that  is,  pray  with  your  liearts. 

Now  let  us  try  to  make  a  true  prayer  to  God.  Tell 
me  what  good  gifts  God  has  given  you,  for  which  you 
want  to  thank  him.  [Encourage  the  children  to  speak 
of  every-day  blessings,  such  as  friends,  homes,  breath, 
food,  water,  etc.,  as  well  as  special  blessings.]  Now  I 
will  try  to  remember  all  you  have  told  me,  and  make  a 
prayer  of  thanks  to  God.  [The  teacher  makes  short 
sentences,  and  the  children  repeat  them.] 

Now,  as  we  have  said  the  thanking  part  of  our  prayer, 
let  us  say  the  asking  part.  Tell  me  what  you  would 
like  God  to  do  for  you,  and  I  will  try  to  remember  all 
you  say.     [If  improper  things  are  desired,  let  the  teacher 


1 88     Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

kindly  object,  and  tell  why  it  would  not  be  right.     Let 
the  prayer  then  be  made  as  before.] 

Singing—"  Loving  Father,  hear   thy  children."     [All 
kneeling.]     P.  25,  Songs  for  Little  Folks'. 


III.  CONCERT  ON  TEMPERANCE. 

1.  Singing — "  The  Bird's  Temperance  Song."  P.  114, 
Songs  for  Little  Folks • 

2.  Dialogue  between  one  little  boy  and  the  whole 
class. 

Boy.  "  Who  hath  woe  .?  " 

Class.  "  Woe  unto  him  that  giveth  his  neighbor  drink. 
Woe  unto  them  that  follow  strong  drink." 

B.  "  Who  hath  sorrow  }  " 

C.  "  They  that  tarry  long  at  the  wine." 

B.  "  Who  hath  contentions  .?  " 

C.  "  They  that  go  to  seek  mixed  wine." 

B.  "  Who  hath  babblings  1  " 

C.  "  Wine  is  a  mocker." 

B.  "  Who  hath  wounds  without  cause  }  " 

C.  "  Strong  drink  is  raging  :  and  whosoever  is  deceived 
thereby  is  not  wise.  [Then]  Look  not  thou  upon  the 
wine  when  it  is  red,  when  it  giveth  his  color  in  the  cup» 
when  it  moveth  itself  aright.  At  the  last  it  biteth  like 
a  serpent,  and  stingeth  like  an  adder." 

3.  Recitation  by  a  boy. 

"  I  would  like  to  have  ruddy  cheeks,  and  bright  eyes, 
and  strong  limbs.  But  they  say  that  strong  drink  dims 
the  eye,  and  whitens  the  cheek,  and  enfeebles  the  frame  ; 
therefore  I  will  not  drink  at  all. 


Prima jy  Class  Concerts.  189 

**  I  would  like  to  have  a  clear  mind,  so  that  I  may  be 
able  to  think  on  great  things,  and  serve  God,  and  do 
good  to  others,  and  prepare  to  die.  But  they  say  that 
strong  drink  clouds  the  mind,  and  often  destroys  it ; 
therefore  I  will  not  drink  at  all. 

"  I  would  like  to  have  a  peaceful  heart  and  a  quiet 
conscience,  so  that  I  may  be  happy  while  I  am  here. 
But  they  say  that  strong  drink  fills  many  a  heart  with 
misery,  and  implants  in  many  a  conscience  a  sting; 
therefore  I  will  not  drink  at  all. 

"  I  would  like  to  have  a  quiet  home  and  happy  fire- 
side, where  I  could  rejoice  with  loving  brothers,  and  sis- 
ters, and  parents.  But  they  say  that  strong  drink  makes 
ten  thousand  homes  wretched  and  miserable;  therefore 
I  will  not  drink  at  all. 

"  I  would  like  to  go  to  heaven  when  I  die,  that  I  may 
dwell  with  Jesus  in  glory  forever.  But  they  say  that 
strong  drink  keeps  many  from  entering  into  heaven,  and 
casts  them  down  to  hell  ;  therefore  I  will  not  drink  at 
all." — Selected. 

4.  Singing  by  the  girls  —  "Don't  Drink  it,  Boys." 
P.  116,  Songs  for  Little  Folks. 

5.  Recitation  by  a  boy. 

DOWN    HILL. 

A  story  they  tell  of  a  lunatic  man. 
Who  slid  down  hill  in  a  warming-pan. 
He  steered  himself  with  the  handle,  of  course, 
And  clucked  away,  as  he  would  to  a  horse. 

His  legs,  it  is  tnie,  were  somewhat  in  the  way, 
And  his  seat  rather  tight,  as  a  body  might  say  ; 
But  he  landed  all  right  at  the  foot  of  the  hill, 
And,  for  all  that  I  know,  is  sitting  there  still. 


1 90    Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

You  smile  at  the  story,  and  wonder  how  folks 
Can  get  from  their  brains  such  a  terrible  hoax  ; 
But  sliding  down  hill  is  many. a  man 
On  a  much  worse  thing  than  a  warming-pan. 

Some  are  going  full  speed  on  their  pride, 
And  others  on  their  stinginess  slide  ; 
But  the  strangest  way  of  taking  that  ride, 
is  to  go,  as  some  do,  on  a  rum-jug  astride. 

Beware  of  such  coasting,  or,  like  Jack  and  Gill, 
You'll  make  some  work  in  getting  down  hill. 
Beware,  for  with  what  other  evils  you  tug, 
'Tis  nothing  like  sliding  down  hill  on  a  jug. 

— By  Uncle  Charles, 

6.  Recitation  by  a  boy. 

MY    SPEECH. 
"  You'd  scarce  expect  one  of  my  age 
To  plead  for  Temperance  on  the  stage  ; 
And  should  I  chance  to  fall  below, 
Portraying  all  the  drunkard's  woe, 
Don't  view  me  with  a  critic's  eye, 
Nor  pass  my  simple  story  by, 

"  Large  streams  from  little  fountains  flow  ; 
Great  sots  from  moderate  drinkers  grow  ; 
And  though  I  now  am  small  and  young. 
No  rum  shall  ever  touch  my  tongue. 

"  Mayn't  Massachusetts  boast  as  great 
As  any  other  sister  State  ? 
But  where's  the  town,  go  far  and  near, 
That  sells  the  rum  as  we  do  here  ? 
Or  where's  the  boy,  but  three  feet  high, 
That  hates  the  traffic  worse  than  I  ?  " — Selected. 

7.  Pledge  recited  by  the  class  in  concert. 

8.  Singing,  "  Dare  to  do  Right."      P.    76,   Songs  for 
Little  Folks. 


Primary  Class  Concerts. 


191 


IV.  CONCERT  ON  MISSIONS. 

1.  Singing — "  13o  the  cliildren  know  of  Jesus  over 
there  .?  "     P.  1 1 2,  Sou^^s  for  Little  Folks. 

2.  Bible  reading  by  the  teacher,  illustrated  by  pictures 
of  idols  drawn  on  the  blackboard. 

The  following  passages  of  Scripture  may  be  read. 
Psa.  cxv,  4-8;  Jer.  x,  1-5;  Isa.  xliv,  13-20. 

3.  .Bible  Recitation  by  different  pupils.  Psa.  xiv,  2  ; 
Rom.  iii,  23  ;  Rom.  v,  8  ;  i  John  ii,  2  ;  i  Tim.  iv,  10; 
Matt,  xviii,  18,  19. 

4.  Singing,  (by  the  whole  school,  primary  class 
joining.) 


GO    FORTH,    CHRISTIAIS]  !* 


m 


% 


==1tn5: 


~ir'-v-t'\—\ — r-| — r — ^^m^^^r^r^. 

\  I    I  I  I 

The  Gospel  has  from  heaven  come:  All  by  Jesus'  love;  luvlting 


r-r 


^^1=^ 


P^PPPP^Pi 


I    I 


i   I 


wandering  shi-ners  home  :  All  by   Je-sus'  love.       Go  forth,  Christian, 


^^ 


-1 — r-1 — r- 


-jfL-^-± 


I     I 


:1 


^-=^ 


^-*^- 
p- 


J — N-4-J- 


wmrmM^m 


^.: 


^1        ki    I       ^      , 
go    to  all  heathen  lands,    Till  all  king-doms  learn  of  Je-sus' love. 


=tf:fc 


e--(?_«- 


r-r-r- 


*  The  above  chant  is  arranged  from  the  Jubilee  Singers'  Chant,  "  Go  down, 
Moses."  The  words  are  of  course  changed.  This  piece  may  be  easily  learned, 
and  if  sung  with  force  and  feeling  will  have  a  good  effect. 


192     Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

To  India  liasten  with  tlie  word  ; 

Tell  of  Jesus'  love. 
Bid  China's  millions  praise  the  Lord  ; 

Tell  of  Jesus'  love. — CliOR. 

To  Afric's  sunny  climes  repair  ; 

Tell  of  Jesus'  love. 
Let  Europe,  too,  its  blessings  share  ; 

Tell  of  Jesus'  love. — Ciior. 

To  western  tribes  the  news  proclaim  ; 

Tell  of  Jesus'  love. 
Let  all  the  Islands  hear  his  name  ; 
■  Tell  of  Jesus'  love. — Chor. 

And  when  ye  reach  your  homes  on  high. 

Sing  of  Jesus'  love. 
Through  all  the  mansions  of  the  sky, 

Sing  of  Jesus'  love. — Chor. 

5.  Speech  by  a  little  boy. 

I  think  missionaries  must  have  a  pretty  hard  time, 
for  they  have  to  leave  their  dear  friends  to  go  to  live 
among  people  who  would  like  to  eat  them  up,  not  be- 
cause they  love  them  so  much;  I  guess  they  must  think 
a  white  man  is  pretty  good  eating.  A  missionary  would 
not  be  quite  to  my  taste  ! 

All  missionaries,  however,  are  not  white;  some  are  red 
or  copper-colored.  This  kind  have  neither  eyes  nor  ears, 
feet  nor  hands,  and  yet  it  is  very  remarkable  how  much 
they  can  do  for  the  heathen.  1  have  invited  a  great  many 
of  these  to  be  present  this  evening  as  dumb  orators. 
One  hundred  of  them  have  reported,  and  they  are  now 
hiding  their  i'aces  under  my  handkerchief.  They  will 
very  soon  sail  for  India  or  some  other  mission  station. 
They  would   like  to  be  joined  by  many  more,  because 


Primary  Class  Co7tcerts.  1 93 

they  are  very  small  and  each  one  can  do  only  a  little.  I 
will  now  show  you  their  faces  and  introduce  them  to 
you.  [Lifts  up  the  handkerchief,  which  has  from  the  first 
been  lying  over  a  hundred  pennies  placed  on  a  stand.] 
This  [holding  up  one  penny]  is  "One  Cent;  "  here  is 
another  of  the  same  name,  and  here  is  another  and 
another.  Here  is  one  called  "  Two  Cents."  He  can  do 
just  twice  as  much  as  "  One  Cent."  Every  body  here 
is  rich  enough  to  send  several  of  these  missionaries,  and 
when  the  contribution  box  is  passed  I  confidently  expect 
to  see  the  company  of  one  hundred  swelled  to  a  regi- 
ment. [The  large  words  contained  in  the  above  speech 
are  introduced  to  give  a  measure  of  amusing  effect.] 
6.  Recitation  by  a  little  girl. 

WHAT    MAIDIE    DID. 

"  The  box  was  all  packed,  and  stood  by  the  door ; 
It  was  going  a  journey  the  round  world  o'er. 
There  was  nothing  to  do  but  nail  down  the  lid, 
Save  this  one  little  thing  that  our  Maidie  did. 

"  Maidie  sat  on  the  door-step,  Peg  on  her  anii, 
Holding  her  tight  and  keeping  her  warm  ; 
She  was  not  very  much  of  a  doll,  poor  Peg ! 
With  her  head  almost  off,  and  only  one  leg. 

"  She  was  all  Maidie  had,  though,  her  dearest  and  best, 
Next  to  papa,  and  mamma,  and  all  of  the  rest ; 
And  now  her  poor  brain  was  all  in  a  whirl, 
At  the  thought  that  many  a  poor  little  girl 

"  Where  the  big  box  was  going  had  naught  so  good 
As  queer  little  Peg ;  and  do  what  she  would 
The  question  kept  coming,  "  Ought  Peggy  to  go 
In  the  box  o'er  the  sea  when  she  loved  her  so?  " 
13 


194     Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

"  She  would  roll  up  a  rag  doll,  wouldn't  that  do? 
Or  she'd  save  all  her  pennies  the  whole  year  through 
To  buy  the  nicest  wax  dolly  all  in  the  'French  store  ;* 
But  then  that  couldn't  go  in  the  box  by  the  door. 

"  The  sweetest — the  bestest,  the  minister  said  ; 
And  softly  she  patted  little  Peggy's  tow  head, 
Kissed  her  poor  faded  lips,  with  a  sob  raised  the  lid, 

Can  you  guess  for  me  now  what  our  Maidie  did?" 

— Selected. 


7.  Singing.  "I've  thought  of  Little  Children  over 
There."     P.  115,  Songs  for  Little  Folks. 

8.  Recitations  by  five  children  in  succession. 

First  Child.  Jesus  sat  over  against  the  treasury,  and 
beheld  how  the  people  cast  money  into  the  treasury : 
and  many  that  were  rich  cast  in  much.  Matt,  xii,  41. 

Secoftd  Child.  And  there  came  a  certain  poor  widow, 
and  she  threw  in  two  mites,  which  make  a  farthing. 
Mark  xii,  42. 

Third  Child.  And  he  called  unto  him  his  disciples, 
and  saith  unto  them,  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  That  this 
poor  widow  hath  cast  more  in,  than  all  they  which  have 
cast  into  the  treasury.     Mark  xii,  43. 

Fourth  Child.  For  all  they  did  cast  in  of  their  abun- 
dance ;  but  she  of  her  want  did  cast  in  all  that  she  had, 
even  all  her  living.     Mark  xii,  44. 

Fifth  Child. 

Two  small  mites  have  I  to  give, 
My  small  body  in  which  I  live  ; 
And  my  soul  that  ought  to  pray. 
And  live  for  Jesus  every  day. 


Prima jy  Class  Concerts.  195 

10.  Collection  taken. 

11.  Singing.     Mission  Song.     V.  \\\^  Songs  for  Little 
Folks. 


V.   CONCERT  ON  CHRISTMAS. 

1.  Singing.     "  Silent  Night."    P.  123,  Songs  for  Little 
Folks, 

2.  Recitation  by  one  pupil.     Luke  ii,  8-14. 

3.  Singing.     "  Jesus  is  Born."    V.  120,  Songs  for  Lit- 
tle Folks. 

4.  Recitation  by  one  pupil.     Matt,  ii,  i,  2,  10,  11,  12. 

5.  Recitation  by  eight  pupils. 

First  Scholar.  "  We,  too,  would  an  ofifering  bring, 
Welcome  and  adore  our  king." 

Second  Scholar.  "What  can  /give  to  Jesus 

Who  gave  himself  for  me  ? 
How  can  I  show  my  love  to  him 
Who  died  on  Calvary  !" 

Third  Scholar.  "  I'll  give  my  heart  to  Jesus, 

In  childhood's  tender  spring  ; 
I  know  that  he  will  not  despise 
So  small  an  offering." 

Fourth  Scholar.  "  I'll  give  my  soul  to  Jesus, 
And  calmly,  gladly  rest 
Its  youthful  hope  and  fond  desires 
Upon  his  loving  breast." 

Fifth  Scholar.  "  Fll  give  my  mind  to  Jesus, 

And  seek  in  thoughtful  hours 
His  Spirit's  grace  to  consecrate 
Its  early  opening  powers." 


196     Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

Sixth  Scholar.  "  I'll  give  my  strength  to  Jesus, 
Of  foot  and  hand  and  will : 
Run  where  he  sends,  and  ever  strive 
His  pleasure  to  fulfill." 

Seventh  Scholar.  "  I'll  give  my  time  to  Jesus  : 
O  that  each  hour  might  be 
Filled  up  with  holy  love  for  him 
Who  spent  his  life  for  me  !  " 

Eighth  Scholar.  "  I'll  give  my  zvealth  to  Jesus, 
'Tis  little  I  possess  ; 
But  all  I  am  and  all  I  have, 

Dear  Lord,  accept  and  bless." — Selected. 

6.  Singing.    "  Little  Lights."     P.  93,  Songs  for  Little 
Folks. 

7.  Recitation. 

Boys.  Why  did  the  King  of  glory  come, 
A  baby  in  a  stable-home  ? 

Girls.  In  straw-lined  manger  was  his  birth, 
To  live  a  life  like  ours  on  earth ; 

All.  It  was  for  me,  for  me. 

Boys.  Why  with  such  wisdom  was  he  filled. 
Obeying  all  his  parents  willed  ? 

Girls.  He  was  so  gentle,  meek,  and  mild. 
To  be  a  perfect,  pattern  child  ; 

All.  It  was  for  me,  for  me. 

Boys.  Why  was  his  life  so  wondrous  kind, 

Healing  the  sick,  the  lame,  the  blind? 

Girls.  To  show  his  love  can  enter  in 

Sick  souls,  and  cure  disease  of  sin  ; 

All.  It  was  for  me,  for  me. 


Pnuiary  Class  Concerts.  197 

Boys.   Why  was  he  in  the  garden  found 
In  agony  upon  the  ground  ? 

Girls.  Bearing  God's  wrath,  the  holy  One, 

In  anguish  prayed,  Thy  will  be  done  ; 

All.  It  was  for  me,  for  me. 

Boys.  Why  bore  he  all,  that  awful  night, 

Betrayed,  denied,  friends  fled  in  fright? 

Girls.  Submitting  meekly,  led  along 

Bound,  'mid  the  shoutings  of  the  throng  ; 

All.  It  was  for  me,  for  me. 

Boys.  Why  bore  he  mockings,  words  of  scorn, 
The  crimson  robe,  the  cruel  thorn  ? 

Girls.  Despised,  rejected,  smitten  all 

While  standing  in  the  judgment-hall  ; 

All.  It  was  for  me,  for  me. 

Boys.  Why  those  nailed  hands  extended  wide, 
As  on  the  cross  my  Saviour  died? 

Girls.  Even  the  earth  quaked  as  in  fear, 

While  Jesus  hung,  pierced  with  the  spear, 

All.  It  was  for  me,  for  me. 

Boys.  W'hy  did  he  burst  the  grave's  dark  prison, 
While  angels  sang,  The  Lord  is  risen  ? 

Gi7-ls.  Because  his  earthly  work  was  done, 
To  save  the  world  God  gave  his  Son  ; 

All.  That  precious  life-blood,  shed  for  me, 

0  may  I  live  for  thee,  for  thee  ! — Faith  Latimer. 

8.  Singing.   "  Christ  was  born  in  Bethlehem."     P.  119, 
Songs  for  Little  Folks. 


198     Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 


VI.  CONCERT  ON  HOW  TO  SPEND  CHRISTMAS. 

1.  Singing.     Christmas  Chant.     P.  125,  Songs  for  Lit- 
tle Folks. 

2.  Recitation  by  the  class  in  concert.     Matt,  ii,  i,  2, 
10,  II,  12. 

3.  Singing.  "Three  Kings  of  Orient."     P.  170,  Songs 
for  Little  Folks. 

4.  Recitation  by  one  child. 

PROLOGUE. 

Kind  friends  and  little  classmates  dear, 

Three  ways  you  now  will  hear 

A  Christmas-day  to  spend, 

If  to  the  stories  you'll  attend. 

The  first  in  selfish  thought 

True  joy  and  pleasure  sought ; 

But  ere  the  day  in  darkness  closed 

To  keen  remorse  she  felt  disposed. 

The  second,  too,  will  tell 

Of  selfish  sport  as  well  : 

But  by  his  story  you  will  find 

To  do  some  good  he  felt  inclined. 

The  third,  with  Christ-like  joy 

Gave  up  her  cherished  toy, 

And  on  this  happy  Christmas-day 

Angels  bright  have  watched  her  play. 

And  when  you've  heard  each  story  through, 

We'd  like  to  know  how't  seems  to  you, 

Which  is  the  best  and  happiest  way 

To  spend  a  merry  Christmas-day? 

5.  Recitation  by  a  little  girl. 

Bessie's  Christmas. 

There's  Nettie  Earl  and  Jennie  Brown, 
I  see  them  walking  up  and  down, 


Primary  Class  Concerts.  199 

Their  dolls  are  wax 

With  curls  like  flax  ; 
They  walk,  and  talk,  and  shut  their  eyes, 
And  Nettie  says,  she  b'lieves  her's  cries. 

I  wish  I  had  a  prettier  doll, 
A  little  stove,  a  larger  ball ; 

I'm  tired  of  play 

And  Christmas  day ; 
I'm  tired  of  candy,  nuts,  and  cakes, 
And  O  !  my  head,  how  haixl  it  aches  ! 

I  thought  I'd  be  so  glad  to-day. 
And  never  want  to  stop  my  play. 

Nor  say  cross  words. 

Nor  angry  grow. 
Nor  make  my  mother  look  so  sad  ; 
I  surely  must  be  very  bad. 


6.  Recitation  by  a  little  boy. 


HARRY'S    CHRISTMAS. 

New  boots,  new  whip,  new  bridle  gay, 
And  a  pony  black,  I've  had  to-day  ; 
My  saddle,  too,  with  stirrups  bright, 
I'll  tell  you  now's  a  pretty  sight. 

I  thought  I'd  like  the  boys  to  know 
How  I  could  make  my  pony  go ; 
So  up  and  down  the  village  street 
We  paced  and  trotted  very  fleet. 

And  as  we  passed  a  cottage  low. 
All  banked  with  leaves,  and  dirt,  and  snow. 
Pressed  close  against  the  window  pane, 
I  saw  the  face  of  Willie  Lane. 

I  know  the  tears  were  in  his  eye 
As  he  saw  me  ride  so  gayly  by  ; 
For  he  was  poor,  and  sick,  and  lame, 
And  {k:.\\  the  joys  to  him  that  came. 


200     Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

I  drew  my  rein  and  shouted  loud, 
Pulled  off  my  cap  and  low  I  bowed, 
And  as  I  saw  his  sad,  sick  look, 
I  thought  he'd  like  my  new  red  book. 

And  soon  I  brought  the  book  to  him, 
And  then  his  face  with  joy  did  gleam  ; 
But  yet  he  feared  to  take  the  book, 
"  Lest  I  should  want  sometimes  to  look." 

"  I  would  not  use  the  book,"  I  said, 
"  I'm  sure  by  me  'twould  not  be  read  ; 
For  boys  with  ponies  do  not  care 
Much  of  their  time  for  books  to  spare." 

7.  Recitation  by  a  little  girL 

MAGGIE'S    CHRISTMAS. 

My  little  heart  is  full  of  glee  ; 
I'm  just  as  glad  as  I  can  be ; 
I  have  not  had  a  book  or  ball. 
Nor  tinkling  bell,  nor  talking  doll. 
Nor  any  kind  of  pretty  toy. 
To  make  my  heart  thus  full  of  joy. 

We're  very  poor,  mamma  and  I, 
Our  home  is  up  the  stairs  so  high  ; 
"We  hear  the  city's  noise  and  din 
As  but  an  echo  faint  come  in. 
Just  next  our  room  lives  Kitty  Lee, 
"Who's  weak,  and  small,  and  cannot  see. 

I  waited  for  this  Christmas  day. 
And  counted  hours  that  passed  away  ; 
I  thought  this  day  the  happy  time, 
"When  sure  a  dolly  would  be  mine  ; 
And  oft  I  stopped,  on  my  homeward  way. 
To  look  at  dolls  in  windows  gay. 


Primary  Class  Concerts.  20 1 

And  when  the  day  was  ahnost  here. 
My  mamma  said  to  me,  "  My  dear, 
Do  you  remember  Kitty  Lee, 
Who's  weak,  and  small,  and  cannot  see? 
Will  you  give  up  your  cherished  toy 
That  poor  blind  Kitty  may  have  joy?" 

Now  other  girls  could  hardly  see 
What  joy  a  doll  would  be  to  me  ; 
For  through  the  long  and  weary  day 
I  had  no  toys  to  help  me  play  ; 
She  waited  long  ;  how  could  I  say 
The  words  that  took  my  joy  away  ? 

I  thought  of  all  that  Jesus  taught, 
And  if  to  be  like  him  I  sought, 
I'd  gladly  yield  my  darling  toy 
To  give  poor  Kitty  Christmas  joy. 
Then  I  grew  strong,  and  said  the  word  ; 
With  tearful  eyes  my  mother  heard. 

And  when  we  went  to  Kilty's  room. 
From  out  my  heart  had  passed  all  gloom  ; 
'Twas  easy  now  my  toy  to  give  : 
I  always  want  like  Christ  to  live  ! 
For  sweeter  far  is  this  new  joy 
Than  any  pretty  Christmas  toy. 

8.  Recitation  by  the  class  in  concert. 

THE    DECISION. 

Since  now  these  stories  we  have  heard, 
We  well  remember  Jesus'  word  : 
That  he  who  would  most  blessed  live, 
Should  of  his  treasures  freely  give. 
The  happiest  child  of  all  these  three 
Is  the  little  friend  of  Kitty  Lee  ; 
We  think  she  chose  the  better  way 
To  spend  a  merry  Christmas-day. 


202     Open  Letters  to  Primary  Teachers. 

9.  Singing.    ''Give,   said  the  Little  Stream."     P.  96, 
SoNgs  for  Little  Folks. 

10.  Bible   Recitations.    Matt,   v,    16.    Matt,   vii,    12. 
Matt,  vi,  19,  20.     2  Cor.  ix,  7.  1.  c.     Acts  xx,  35. 

11.  Singing.      "Up    and    Doing,    Little    Christian." 
P.  77,  Sojigs  for  Little  Folks. 


ALPHABETICAL   INDEX. 


Age  to  enter  Sunday-school,  page  lo. 

Almsgiving,  95. 

Allegory,  78. 

Attendance,  how  kept,  10,  12,  loi. 

Attention,  38,  41,  70,  80. 

Anointing  of  Christ,  161. 

Baptism  of  Christ,  129. 

Benevolence,  Christ's  standard  of,  151. 

Benevolence  cnltivated,  95. 

Bible,   how  to  use  it  in  the  class,  37,  134, 

136,  138,  140,  153,  155,  157,  164,  167,  176. 
Bible  sturies,  tclhng,  76. 
Bird  parties,  iii. 
Birth  of  Christ,  126. 
Blackboard,   use  (;f,  23,  88,  94,  129,  132, 

136,  138, 141,  i43i  i44,:i5o,  153, 160.  169. 
Blesses,  what  God,  yi. 
Blind  man  healed,  84. 
Books  for  Primary  Teachers,  20- 
Breaking  the  wills  of  children,  40. 

Calls  on  children,  13,  log. 
Catechism,  63,  66,  67. 
Characteristics  of  primarj^  class,  15. 
Childhood,  study  of,  20. 
Children's  Hour,  iir. 
(.Jhildrens  prayer-meeting,  120,  122. 
Cliirping  right,  33. 

morning  prayers,  123. 
Christ,  birth  of,  126. 

baptism  of,  129. 

the  Law  as  given  by,  133. 

his  power  ol  the  sea,  137. 

the  mind,  142. 

and  his  parable  of  the  sower,  147. 

the    standard   of  benevolence  estab- 
lished by,  151. 

and  his  parable   of  the  withered  fig- 
tree,  155. 

the  anointing  of,  161. 

the  king,  166. 

on  the  cross,  170. 

the  risen  Lord,  174. 

blessing  little  children,  77, 
Christmas,  195. 

how  to  spend,  198. 
Collection,  95. 
Concerts,  179. 


Conversion  of  children,  117. 
Cross  illustrated,  90. 
Curiosity  developed,  47. 

David  and  Goliath,  92. 
Deaf  mute  healed,  84. 
Discipline  of  the  class,  38,  40. 

Ebal  and  Gerizim  illustrated,  91. 

Echoes,  113. 

Elisha  and  the  pot  of  oil,  91. 

Exercises,  order  of,  in  various  primary 

classes,  30. 
Eye,  power  of,  in  teaching,  35,  80. 

Feeding  the  multitude,  85. 
Fig-tree  withered,  155. 
Freedom  by  the  truth,  86. 

Gifts  to  pupils,  34. 
Gilgal,  stones  in,  84. 
Giving,  95. 

Giving  hearts  to  God,  103. 
Grading  classes,  10. 

Hates,  what  God,  91. 
Home  and  class,  113. 
Humility  illustrated,  86. 

Illustration,  the  art  of,  70. 

abused,  74. 

books  on,  79. 
Instincts  of  childhood,  25. 
International  Lesson  in    the    Primary 
•    Class,  30,  32. 
Intuitional  instruction,  74. 
Israelites'  journey  illustrated,  89. 

Jericho  illustrated,  84. 
Jesus,  our  She,  heid,  170. 
Jewels,  precious,  103. 
John,  18,  19,  33,40,  166,  170. 
Joseph  revealed  to  his  brothers,  83. 

King,  Jesus  the,  166. 

Law  as  given  by  Christ,  133. 
Lesson  in  the  primary  class,  30. 
Light,  Jesus  the,  85. 
Lighting  up  the  lesson,  71. 
Love  of  God  illustrated,  85. 


204 


ALPHABETICAL    INDEX. 


Mark  II,  129. 

IV,  14,  23,35,  41. 136, 147- 

XII,  41,  44,  151. 

XVI,  174. 
Matthew   II,  126. 

XVIII,   I,  6,  142. 

XXI,  19,21,  155. 

XXII,  36,  46,  133. 
XXVI,  6,  13,  161. 

Memorizing  Scripture,  56,  71,  102. 
Mildness,  18. 
Mind  of  Christ,  142. 
Missionary  collections,  99,  154. 
Missionary  concert,  191. 
Morning  prayer  for  children,  122. 
Motion  songs,  105. 

Name  of  the  class,  14. 

Names  of  children  learned,  14,  108. 

Normal  class  for  primary  teachers,  18. 

Object  Illustrations,  170,  142,  144,  146, 
147,  148,  149,  151,  152,  154,  156,  157, 
158,  160,  162,  163,  i66,  170,  171,  173, 
174. 

Object  teaching,  80. 

Oil  of  the  widow's  cruse,  91. 

Organization,  9. 

Passover  illustrated,  90. 

Personal    conversation    on  religion,    42, 

123. 
Pestalozzi,  mottoes  from,  42. 
Pictures,  use  of,  87,  126. 
Picturing  by  words,  77,  93. 
Pillar  of  lire,  82. 
Place  for  Primary  Classes,  21. 
Power,  Christ's,  over  the  sea,  137. 
Prayer,  concert  on,  184. 
Prayer-meetings  for  children,  120,  122. 
Primary  superintendent,  duties  in  class, 

II. 
Programme,  24. 
Promises  illustrated,  81. 


Qualities  of  primary  superintendent,  11 

assistant  teachers,  16. 
Questions,  judicious,  52. 

injudicious,  50. 
Qucbtion  books  and  papers,  34. 

Rainbow,  82,  89. 

Reading  the  lesson  responsively,  67. 

Resurrection  illustrated,  72. 

Risen  Lord,  174. 

Rosary,  the  teacher's,  121. 

Ruth  and  Naomi  illustrated,  92. 

Samuel  illustrated,  84. 

Seats  for  primary  class,  22. 

Securing  assistant  teachers,  12. 

Selecting  teachers,  18. 

Singing,  how  to  teach,  102. 

Social  work  of  teachers,  108. 

Socrates  as  a  teacher,  45. 

Spiritual  application  of  the  lesson,  121 

life,  79. 

work,  117. 
Stories,  how  used,  75,  127,  143,  185. 
Study  of  the  Lesson,  19. 
Sub-classes  in  the  Primary  Department 

10. 
Symbols  of  the  Ancient  Church,  73. 
Sympathy,  33. 

Tabernacle  illustrated,  82. 
Tardiness,  how  to  correct,  38. 
Teachers'  meetings,  19. 
Temperance,  concert  on,  188. 
Think,  teaching  children  to,  30,  34. 
Training  of  primary  teachers,  16. 

Understanding  what  is  memorized,  58. 

Visiting  pupils,  109. 
Visitors,  40,  113. 
Vivacity,  17. 
Voice,  39. 

"•  Waiting  and  watching  for  me,"  125. 


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Life  of.     By  Charles  Adams,  D.D.    16mo 125 

Dan  Young., 

Autobiography  of.     By  "Wm.  P.  Strickland, D.D.     12mo...     175 

Early  Crowned. 

A  Memoir  of  Mart  E.  North,    \fmio 125 

Emory.,  Bishop., 

Life  of.    By  R.Emory.    8vo 1  7e 

Episcopius., 

Life  of.    By  Frederic  Caldeb.    12ino 180 

Fletcher.,  John., 

Life  of.    By  Rev.  Joseph  Benson.    l2mo 185 

thicker.,  Mrs.  Mary.,  Life  of.. 

By  Rev.  H.  Moore.    12mo ,-  1  BC 

Chrrettson,  Rev.  Freeborn., 

Lifoof.    By  Nathan  Bangs,  D.D.    IZmo .     *  H 

Gatch,  Rev,  P., 

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Gruber,  Jacobs 

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Itwi  ,  Samuel y 

Biography  of.     12ino I  25 

Lives  of  the  Popes. 

12mo 1  7fi 

Maxwell^  Lady^ 

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Methodis7Ji^  Women  of^ 

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Mother  of  the  JVes/eys,  the. 

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Ouseley,  Rev.  Gideon, 

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Gilt =     126 

Pillars  in  the  Tejfiple; 

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fuibhed  for  their  Piety  and  UsefulncsR.     By  Rev.  W.  C. 
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Pioneer y  Autobiography  of  a^ 

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Rogers,  Hester  Ann, 

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Str.ith,  Rev.  John, 

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Successful  Merchant,  the. 

By  Rev.  William  ARrHUR,  A.M.     16mo '    X 

Village  Blacksitiith,  the. 

^Smo »  ?• 

Wall 's  End  Miner,  the, 

Or,  A  Brief  Memoir  of  the  Life  of  William  Crister.    By 
Bev.  J.  Everett.     18mo ^50 

Walker,  Rev.  G.  IV., 

Recollections  of.     By  M.  P.  Gaddis.    12mo 1  76 

Watson,  Rev.  Richard, 

Life  of.    By  Rev.  T.  Jackson.    With  Portrait.     Svo 2  75 

Wesley  and  his  Coadjutors. 

By  Rev.  Wm.  C.  Larrabee.    Two  volumes.    16rao 2  25 

Wesley  Family, 

Memoirs  of  the.    By  Rev.  A.  Clarke,  LL.D.    12mo 1  75 

Wesley,  Rev.  Charles, 

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Wesley,  Rev.  John, 

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DOCTRINAL. 

Admonitoty  Counsels  to  a  Methodist. 

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Analysis  of  Watsons  Institutes, 

By  Rev.  John  M'Clintock,  D.D.     ISmo, ,  ..  '. OM 

Angels, 

Natiir«  and  Ministry  of     By  Rev.  J.  Rawbon.     iSmo 0  M 


Date  Due 

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